Lanning retired following Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold medal success in Birmingham and it remains unclear when or if she will return.
“The club respects his decision and asks that his privacy continues to be respected,” a statement from the Stars said.
The stars will need to find a new captain for their WBBL campaign which kicks off on October 15 against Brisbane Heat. Earlier this year, Lanning handed over the captaincy of Victoria to Sophie Molineux.
With Lanning now banned from the WBBL, it also increases the chances that Australia will need a new captain for their tour of India in mid-December.
When Shelley Nitschke was confirmed as the new permanent head coach last week, she said conversations about Lanning’s future had yet to take place.
“When the time is right, we’ll have those conversations about whether she’s back in December or when that might be,” she said.
“There’s a good group of emerging leaders on our team who are going to have opportunities to raise their hands,” Nitschke said. “We don’t have a designated leadership group, but there are people within the team and the group who are leaders on and off the pitch. Some girls lead in their state. They all have strengths different.”
Lanning was named Australia captain aged 21 and in recent years has led the team to unprecedented success with T20 and ODI World Cup titles, Commonwealth Games gold and several Ashes wins. She also maintained her form as one of the best hitters in the world, averaging 53.53 in ODI and 36.48 in T20I.
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