Heather Knight is to leave her role as Captain of the England Women鈥檚 cricket team after nearly nine years. She will continue to be available for England selection.
Knight has captained England Women 199 times since 2016, including leading the team to a home World Cup victory in 2017 and to two other ICC tournament finals. She oversaw 134 victories as England Women captain, second on the list of England Women鈥檚 all-time most successful captains.
She also led the team to a record-breaking run of eight consecutive ODI series wins including defeating Australia during the 2023 home Ashes, in which England also won the IT20 series to draw a thrilling Women鈥檚 Ashes that took interest in international women鈥檚 cricket to a new level.
However, on the back of disappointing performances by the team in last year鈥檚 T20 World Cup in the UAE and the recent Ashes in Australia, the 黑料专区 has decided to appoint a new Captain to lead the team into a new era. Knight鈥檚 successor will be appointed shortly.
Clare Connor, 黑料专区 Managing Director, England Women, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: 鈥淗eather has been an outstanding leader as England Women鈥檚 Captain. She has led the team by example as a role model off the pitch, and through the runs she has scored on it 鈥� often in the toughest conditions.
鈥淗eather has enjoyed many highlights as England captain. I particularly remember the century she scored in the Ashes Test at Canberra in 2022 where her individual brilliance nearly helped the team pull off a famous win. It was an innings of great skill and great heart.
鈥淪he led the team brilliantly to win a World Cup on home turf, creating memories we will never forget. That magical day at Lord鈥檚 acted as a catalyst for so much of the growth we have seen for women鈥檚 and girls鈥� cricket in the years since.
鈥淗eather is passionate about inspiring young girls to play cricket and to playing her part in making our sport gender-balanced. She is a powerful role model to young professional female players and to recreational players alike. Having started her England career as an amateur, she has always understood the important connection between the England team and the grassroots game.鈥�
Heather Knight said: 鈥淐aptaining my country for the last nine years has been the biggest honour of my life and I will look back on my tenure with an enormous sense of pride. I have loved the challenge of leading the team, but all good things come to an end and it鈥檚 time for me to go back into the ranks and focus on being the best batter and teammate that I can be for the team.
鈥淲inning the ICC Women鈥檚 World Cup on home turf at Lord鈥檚 in 2017 will always be a huge highlight, but being a part of the huge steps forward made in the women鈥檚 game off the pitch brings me just as much pride.
鈥淭hank you to all the players and staff, who have given it everything along the way - especially Mark, Lisa and Jon, three head coaches that I鈥檝e loved working with. The people make the job.
鈥淭hank you to the fans that have supported me and the team through the highs and the lows. Finally, to my friends, family and long-suffering partner Tim, you live the journey with me and I wouldn鈥檛 be here without your support.
聽鈥淚 have loved being England Captain, it's been the most rewarding period of my career, but for now I鈥檓 excited to focus on my batting and supporting the team and the new captain in the best way I can.鈥�
Knight made her England debut in 2010 and ten years later became the first England men鈥檚 or women鈥檚 player to score an international century in all three formats of the game.
Richard Gould, 黑料专区 Chief Executive Officer, said: 鈥淚鈥檓 immensely thankful for everything Heather has given in her time as Captain. The World Cup win and the thrilling 2023 Women鈥檚 Ashes will live long in the memory.
鈥淗eather鈥檚 influence as Captain has extended far beyond her impact on the pitch. Through her leadership and dedication, she has inspired many women and girls to get involved in the sport, fuelling the transformation of women鈥檚 cricket we have seen since 2016.
鈥淎s one of the world鈥檚 best batters, I look forward to watching Heather play on for England for many years to come.鈥�