Meg Lanning reveals eating battle behind early retirement

“How could I not want to travel the world and play cricket? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Lanning said she felt teammates were aware she was struggling, particularly in terms of her appearance but also how grumpy she became.

“I think they knew something was up,” she said. “I couldn’t see anything in my appearance but [others] could see it. And everything that comes with it. You become grumpy. Not talking to many people. Not being able to concentrate. Not sleeping. Your head just goes round and round and it’s not a nice place to be.

“I dreaded night-time because I knew I would go to bed and not be able to sleep. That would make me so mad. I would just get more angry with myself. If you can’t sleep you can’t do anything.

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“I’ve learnt that regardless of who you are there is always something happening. I guess I have realised how much telling to people and letting them know can actually help even if they don’t have an answer.”

Ben Oliver, CA’s high-performance chief, insisted that the mental health of players was a top priority for the governing body, and expressed gladness that Lanning now felt comfortable to share her story, which had become known to a small circle of individuals within Australian cricket for some time.

“Meg has been an incredible contributor to Australian cricket and we are pleased she felt comfortable sharing her challenges,” Oliver said. “The physical and mental wellbeing of our players, support staff and all those working in cricket is a priority for Cricket Australia.

“We are confident the measures put around our teams including doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, physical performance coaches and dieticians provides a high level of support for players who may experience challenges during their careers.”