Former England captain Heather Knight. Photograph: AFP
LONDON:
Heather Knight, England’s 2017 World Cup-winning captain and essentially the most capped ladies’s participant in England historical past, introduced Saturday she’s going to retire from worldwide cricket following the tip of the ongoing Check match towards India at Lord’s.
Knight, who made her England debut in 2010 and has featured in 320 matches throughout all codecs, joins team-mate Tammy Beaumont in bowing out of worldwide cricket on the conclusion of the historic first ladies’s Check at Lord’s.
Knight has made almost 8,000 worldwide runs throughout all codecs, with six centuries.
At Canberra in 2020, her hundred through the T20 World Cup made her the primary English ladies’s participant to attain a whole bunch in all three types of the sport.
Arguably her finest day in England colors got here when she led the aspect to victory over India within the 2017 50-over World Cup last at Lord’s, having succeeded Charlotte Edwards — now England’s head coach — as skipper the earlier 12 months.
She went on to steer the staff on 199 events from 2016 to 2025, overseeing 134 victories earlier than standing down following a humiliating 16-0 loss in Australia through the multi-format Ashes of 2024/25.
“I am extraordinarily grateful and privileged to have gone on the journey that I’ve been on as an England cricketer,” Knight mentioned.
“It is onerous to stroll away as a result of the dressing-room and the folks within the dressing-room have been a relentless in my life for 16 years, and the reminiscences and the experiences and the folks have helped form me change into who I’m right this moment, however I am actually content material with this determination and I am actually excited for what’s subsequent.”
Knight, suffering from accidents lately, is ready to maneuver into administration, having taken up a job as common supervisor at London Spirit, with the brand new season of the Hundred beginning on the finish of the month.
She made six within the first innings of the continued Check, with England on the right track for a heavy defeat after India ended Saturday’s second day of 4 on 154-1 of their second innings — an enormous total lead of 269 runs.
‘Privilege of my life’
The 35-year-old Knight confirmed her enduring worth to England with a key innings of 58, throughout a stand of 133 with present skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt that modified the course of final week’s T20 World Cup semi-final towards South Africa after the hosts had slumped to 23-3.
England have been well-beaten by Australia within the ensuing Lord’s last.
“As a staff, we have shared some particular moments with the followers through the years and I need to thank everybody who has supported and given their like to the ladies’s sport,” mentioned Knight. “Watching this nice sport develop has been the best privilege of my life.”
Clare Connor, managing director England Ladies, mentioned: “Heather’s contribution to England ladies’s cricket has been extraordinary.
“She has mixed ability and dedication as a participant with distinctive management qualities, serving to to form this staff and the sport extra broadly by probably the most important durations in its historical past.”