Meg Lanning will be returning to leadership this season, taking on the captaincy of the Melbourne Stars in WBBL|12.
The 34-year-old, who has played 109 WBBL matches and led the Stars in five seasons previously, will take the reins from Annabel Sutherland in 2026.
After captaining the Stars for the past two years, Sutherland has decided to lighten her responsibilities ahead of another massive summer of cricket.
At just 24 years of age, Sutherland has already played 10 WBBL seasons, while also representing Australia in 55 T20 matches.
This move will allow Sutherland to have a greater focus on her on-field contributions to the team, while the Stars are in a fortunate position to be able to lean on someone of Lanning’s experience.
The club’s new coach, Richard Pyrah, has been working closely with Lanning, Sutherland and Kim Garth in recent months, and is proud of how far the group has come.
“It takes a lot of courage and humility for Annabel to recognise that the best thing for the team is for her to focus on her performance and stand aside from the captaincy,” Pyrah said.
“The easy thing would be for her to keep the title and continue on, but this move just speaks volumes of her character.
“We’ll no doubt see the best version of Annabel, which we’ve seen so often on the global stage, for the Stars this season.
“I’ve been equally as impressed by Meg’s attitude in embracing the new opportunity.
“She has captained this team before, but there is a real emphasis on Meg, Annabel and Kim sharing the workload as leaders this season.
“They have made it clear that this isn’t one person’s team – it takes a collective effort and we’ve got the right mix of people to lead this new era of the club.
“We want to create the most enjoyable environment possible at the Melbourne Stars. The Big Bash is all about having fun and winning games the right way, and I think we’re taking all the right steps to do that this season.”
Following a finals berth in WBBL|11, a season where Lanning scored 479 runs, the Stars will be well placed to compete at the pointy end of the tournament this year.
“It wasn’t on my radar to captain again, but I want to do what’s best to help the team win,” Lanning said.
“We’ve had discussions as senior players about how we can work together to lead the team rather than it all falling on one person.
“We want to get the best out of each player and we think this is the best way to do that, so I’m happy to take on this role.”
While Sutherland won’t have the official title, she will still be a valuable support for Lanning, and the broader leadership group at the club.
“I’ve loved captaining the Stars these past two seasons and I’m really keen to continue to be a leader this season and keep developing my skills in that space,” Sutherland said.
“I really want to contribute to the team’s success in the best way I can, and I think by sharing the load with the leadership, I can hopefully make a bigger impact with the bat and ball.
“We know we are in great hands with Meg – she knows the game as well as anyone and has had so much success as a captain.
“It’s going to be a great chance to spend another season working together, alongside Rich who I just spent a season with in The Hundred.
“Every WBBL experience is such a good opportunity to learn and get better as a leader and player. Working with Rich and Meg this season will no doubt help me become a better captain for whenever the next opportunity comes.”
Sutherland has been in outstanding form in 2026, making a Test century in January, playing a pivotal role in Australia’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup win in July, and earning Player of the Tournament for The Hundred in August.
The Stars have currently signed 12 players ahead of WBBL|12, with three more list spots still to be filled prior to the club’s season opener on October 29.
Melbourne Stars Contracted Players for WBBL|12:
Sophie Day, Charlie Dean, Kim Garth, Dani Gibson, Maisy Gibson, Amy Jones, Meg Lanning (c), Rhys McKenna, Indigo Noble, Georgia Prestwidge, Zoe Samuel, Annabel Sutherland