Phoebe Litchfield breaks silence on Meg Lanning naming her as Alyssa Healy’s successor for Australia’s ODI captain

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In the wake of Australia‘s disheartening semi-final exit from the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, the conversation has swiftly turned to the future leadership of the national team. Australian cricket legend Meg Lanning ignited the discussion by anointing a successor to current captain Alyssa Healy, who is nearing the end of her illustrious career.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Lanning identified young opening batter Phoebe Litchfield as the ideal person for the top job. This high-profile endorsement has now drawn a response from the 22-year-old star herself, who shared her feelings on the prospect of one day leading her country while also setting her sights on immediate redemption against the team that ended their World Cup dream.

Litchfield has responded with a mix of humility and quiet ambition to Lanning’s strong endorsement of her as the next captain of the Australian women’s ODI team. While admitting that the prediction from a two-time World Cup-winning skipper made her feel nervous. Litchfield, who already has leadership experience as the captain of the Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), affirmed that she would seize the opportunity if it were to arise in the future.

In her full statement, she deflected the individual praise and credited the collective leadership strength within the current squad, showcasing the very temperament that Lanning had praised. Speaking on The ICC Review, Litchfield said, “I look at our group, and we’ve got so many natural leaders, I just learn off them. And if the day came, I’d definitely grab it with both hands. But I can assure you that, the likes of Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath, we’ve got just an amazing group of beautiful leaders, and I just look up to them. So if I end up getting it (one day), it’s because of them.”

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While Lanning suggested it was perhaps too early for the team to fully reflect on their semi-final defeat, Litchfield’s comments indicate the players are already channeling that disappointment into motivation for their next major challenge: a multi-format series against India. Litchfield, who finished as the fifth-leading run-scorer at the World Cup, made it clear that the memory of the loss is fresh and will fuel a “very heated” contest when the two sides meet again.

The young opener stated the team’s clear intent for retribution, saying, “We’re eager to get one back on them, and we’ve had some really good form in all formats.” Australia are set to host the new World Cup champions for six white-ball matches (three T20Is and three ODIs) followed by a one-off Test in Perth, starting February 15.

Litchfield also praised the multi-format structure of the series as the ultimate test of a team’s all-round strength, adding, “The multi-format series are awesome for women’s cricket, and it’s a really cool way to see who’s the best nation. You’ve got to pick an all-round squad that can battle in all three formats.” Her forward-looking statements demonstrate a clear focus on bouncing back from the recent heartbreak and re-asserting Australia’s dominance on the world stage.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.