Australia’s women’s team is quietly approaching another major leadership transition, and Meg Lanning — the most successful captain in the nation’s history — has offered a surprising suggestion for who should take the reins next.
With Alyssa Healy now 35 and edging closer to the final phase of her international career, discussions about her eventual successor have begun to surface. Lanning pointed to a candidate who sits slightly outside the obvious group of established leaders: the 22-year-old opener Phoebe Litchfield.
Lanning acknowledged the strength of Australia’s leadership pool before introducing her choice. With a measured tone, she first recognised the expected contenders by saying, “I think all of those that you mentioned are certainly in the running,” making clear that the likes of Tahlia McGrath, Ash Gardner and Annabel Sutherland remain central to the conversation.
Only after establishing this context did, she steer the discussion toward Litchfield, offering a thoughtful justification for why the young batter belongs in the mix. She added, “I’d add Phoebe Litchfield into the mix because I think she’s got a very level head on her shoulders.”
To support her reasoning, Lanning drew attention to the way Litchfield has integrated seamlessly into the national setup. Before expanding on this quality, she explained that Litchfield has already shown impressive poise for her age. That sentiment was captured in her next line: “She’s already shown that she’s come in and settled herself nicely into the team. And I think she’s got a really good temperament too.”
Lanning concluded her assessment by making her stance unmistakably clear, stating, “So I think she’s certainly an option.”
Litchfield’s rise has been steady and significant. Despite having only 67 international appearances, she has already taken on leadership duties for the Sydney Thunder, having been appointed captain for the WBBL in 2024.
Her domestic trajectory mirrors the emerging leadership patterns across the league, where Ash Gardner now captains the Sydney Sixers on a full-term basis and Tahlia McGrath has been leading the Adelaide Strikers for a considerable period. Lanning’s endorsement, therefore, arrives at a moment when the WBBL is increasingly becoming a proving ground for future national captains.
The former Australian captain also revealed that she had spoken to several players since the team’s narrow World Cup semi-final exit to India. She described the emotional response within the group, beginning with the disappointment that naturally followed the defeat. In her words, “I’ve spoken with a few of the girls and they are obviously very disappointed in the result that that’s not what they went over to India to do,” a reflection of the high standards that have long defined Australian women’s cricket.
She added further perspective by acknowledging the growth of competing nations, saying, “Sort of understanding that there’s a lot of good teams out there now and that they gave it their all and sometimes you don’t get the result that you want.”
Despite the heartbreaking end, Lanning emphasised that Australia’s overall campaign had been strong, noting that right up to the semi-final they had played convincing cricket. That sentiment was expressed when she said, “But they had a very good tournament up until that point and even the semi-final, they played well. Just unfortunately not good enough to get over the line.”
Her reflections closed with a reminder of sport’s inherent unpredictability and the team’s capacity to bounce back. As she put it, “That’s the game and we sort of move on and I’m sure they’ll get another chance to improve and get better when the next series comes around.”
With Healy’s tenure slowly approaching its finish line, Lanning’s endorsement of Phoebe Litchfield brings a fresh and intriguing direction to the leadership debate. In a team filled with established stars and experienced captains, Litchfield’s calm temperament, early leadership experience and rapid growth may well position her as the unexpected but compelling choice to guide Australia’s next chapter.
(Quotes sourced from the ICC)
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