Cricket world savages Waleed Aly over embarrassing Meg Lanning interview

The Project host Waleed Aly has been left left with egg on his face after an embarrassing on-air gaffe while interviewing the captain of Australia's all-conquering women's cricket team, Meg Lanning. The star batter was part of the Aussie side that just clinched its third straight T20 World Cup with a win over host nation South Africa on Sunday night.

Lanning's side defended the title they won in 2020 with a 19-run victory over South Africa in Cape Town, to seal a historic three-peat. Beth Mooney made 74 not out off 53 balls to help the Aussies reach 6-156 after batting first at Newlands. They then restricted the Proteas to 6-137 after a clinical performance with the ball to lift the T20 World Cup for the third time in a row and the sixth time in the last seven editions.

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Aly and The Project team invited the Aussie captain onto the show to speak about the team's latest incredible feat, although things went pear-shaped when the TV host got his facts all wrong. Aly - who has professed his love of cricket in the past - failed spectacularly after trying to offer Lanning a compliment about her role in the side's unparalleled success.

“Meg stop sharing the credit around, this is about you because you took 5/12 against New Zealand and you were Australia’s second-highest scorer, were you playing in the under 12s?” Aly jokingly asked the 30-year-old. The glaringly obvious error in the Project host's statement is that Lanning does not even bowl for the Aussie side.

Aly clearly mixed up Lanning with Aussie teammate Ash Gardner, who did indeed take a five-for against New Zealand earlier in the tournament. However, even the TV host's suggestion that Lanning was Australia’s second-highest scorer at the T20 World Cup was incorrect, with teammate Alyssa Healy taking that honour.

To her credit, Lanning didn't even correct Aly's mistake about her 'bowling figures'. The Aussie skipper did, however, take exception to the suggestion that it was easy going for Australia at the World Cup.

“Ah no (it wasn’t an under 12s standard),” she said. “I think it was a tougher tournament than it came across as. We were put under the pump a fair bit and we were able to respond. That’s the best part about this group, we really thrive under pressure when things get a little bit tough and we are able to come through.”

Waleed Aly criticised over on-air gaffe

Unsurprisingly, Aly copped plenty of backlash from cricket fans over the shocking on-air gaffe. Many described his interview with the Aussie skipper as 'cringeworthy' and a 'train wreck' as the TV host was panned on social media.

Lanning's World Cup-winning Aussie side was at the centre of controversy after being overlooked for the Laureus World Sports Awards. The Aussies were not even nominated for the team of the year award despite an astonishing year in 2022 that included an ODI World Cup title, Ashes series win and Commonwealth Games gold medal.

In spite of that record-breaking year that saw the Aussie women's cricket side win 12 of 13 matches played - with one tie representing their only blemish - they were snubbed for the prestigious awards night. Instead, organisers opted to nominate the Argentina men's football team, England women's football team, France men's rugby team, Golden State Warriors NBA team and the Red Bull F1 team in a snub branded as 'ridiculous' by critics.

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