Lanning throws self back into overarm

Australia skipper Meg Lanning is optimistic she’ll be back to throwing overarm before the upcoming home T20Is against New Zealand and November’s World T20.

Lanning has been restricted to throwing underarm since suffering a serious shoulder injury last year. She underwent successful surgery to repair the joint last August, before making her return to international cricket in March following a seven-month lay-off.

But while she was able to bat unhindered on her return tour, the rehabilitation of her shoulder is an ongoing process and team medical staff have understandably been unwilling to rush the forceful action of an overarm throw.

"The over-arm throwing has not yet begun, but it is beginning very soon,” Lanning told cricket.com.au.

"The shoulder is going really well and I’m really pleased with where it’s at, so hopefully I’ll be back over-arm throwing soon.

"(Bringing it back for the 20-over World Cup) is the plan, these things don’t always go to plan, as I’ve found out, but all things considered it should be fully fit for the World Cup."

Lanning didn’t take long to find her feet in India, finding her groove throughout the tour before smashing 88 from 45 deliveries in the final of the T20 tri-series against England.

Now the 26-year-old is firmly in the throes of pre-season training, with her attention fixed on preparing herself for what looms as the busiest ever period for the Australian team; a T20I tri-series against New Zealand in September, an away tour against Pakistan in October and the World T20 in the Caribbean in November.

Those will be followed by Rebel WBBL|03 across the home summer, an ODI series against the White Ferns in Feburary, and overseas series' against West Indies and England next year leading into a home World T20 on Australian soil in early 2020.

The Victorian has spent the bulk of her pre-season at Brisbane’s Bupa National Cricket Centre, making the most of the chance to train outdoors on turf wickets and work closely with Australian coaching staff.

With so much 20-over cricket on the horizon, Lanning said she’s been working hard to add a few new tricks to her armoury.

“I’m working on opening up some other areas of the field with my batting,” she said.

“With only four fielders out in both formats, it’s important you’re able to target different areas.

“So I’ve tried to identify those new areas and come up with ways to get there.”

Her comments echoed observations made by head coach Matthew Mott earlier this month, when he implored his batters to continue developing new skills as the scoring rate in women’s T20s continues to rise.

“The run-scoring bar has been raised again so we have got to continue to keep evolving and find new ways with the bat to exploit all areas of the ground,” Mott said.

“We’ve given players information over the last year about areas they can improve in and parts of the ground they can access with the bat, so they’ve got to come up here (to training in Brisbane) and focus on those things they need to work on.”

Commonwealth Bank T20I series v NZ 

September 29: First T20I, North Sydney Oval, Sydney

October 1: Second T20I, Allan Border Field, Brisbane

October 5: Third T20I, Manuka Oval, Canberra

Commonwealth Bank ODI series v NZ 

February 22: First ODI, WACA Ground, Perth

February 24: Second ODI, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

March 3: Third ODI, Junction Oval, Melbourne