Ashes 2023: Australia captain withdraws from historic Test series due to medical issue

Cricket Australia (CA) announced today that Australia captain Meg Lanning will not be participating in the upcoming Ashes tour in England due to medical reasons. CA's medical staff has advised her to manage the issue from home, leading to her absence from the tour. In Lanning's place, Alyssa Healy will take over the captaincy, with Tahlia McGrath assuming the role of vice-captain.

Although there will not be a direct replacement for Lanning in the squad, players from the Australia A squad, who will also be touring the UK in June and July, may be called upon as needed. This marks Lanning's second significant absence from the game since last year. She previously took a six-month break for personal reasons shortly after winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in August. Upon her return, Lanning led Australia to victory at the T20 World Cup in South Africa and guided the Delhi Capitals to the final of the inaugural Women's Premier League in India.

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“It’s an unfortunate setback for Meg and she’s obviously disappointed to have been ruled out of the Ashes. It’s a significant series for the team and she’ll be missed, but she understands the need to put her health first. Meg will remain at home where she will continue to work with medical staff with the aim to return to playing as soon as possible. We ask that Meg’s privacy is respected at this time," CA’s Head of Performance Shawn Flegler said. 

Lanning's absence will be felt by Australia, as she has been instrumental in leading the team to Ashes' success since 2015. However, it should be noted that she missed the entire 2017-18 series on home soil due to a shoulder injury.

The news of Lanning's unavailability for the Ashes tour is undoubtedly disappointing for both the player and the team, but Australia will now have to regroup and make the necessary adjustments to their lineup as they aim to retain the Ashes trophy without their talismanic captain.

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Australia's squad and schedule

Australia's squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham 

• Test: June 22-26 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
• First T20I: July 1 at Edgbaston, Birmingham
• Second T20I: July 5 at The Oval, London
• Third T20I: July 8 at Lord’s, London
• First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol
• Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton
• Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton

Image: Lord's Cricket Ground