Heather Knight, the former captain of England’s women’s cricket team, has revealed that she will retire from international cricket following the conclusion of the current Test match against India at Lord’s. This decision marks the end of a remarkable 16-year career on the international stage.
Knight’s journey with the England team began in 2010, and over the years, she became the most-capped player in England’s women’s cricket history with 320 matches to her name. Her leadership, which began in 2016, saw her guiding the team in 199 games, including a historic Women’s World Cup victory in 2017, held in England.
At 35, Knight achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first England player to score a century in each of the three international formats, after a T20I hundred in 2020. As she steps into her final Test, her international run tally stands impressively at 7,988.
In reflecting on her retirement, Knight expressed gratitude for her time representing England, describing the team environment as a fixture in her life for over a decade and a half. She indicated that the ongoing historic women’s Test at Lord’s provided the perfect setting to bring her international career to a close.
Clare Connor, the Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket, lauded Knight for her significant impact on the sport, both through her on-field achievements and her influential leadership during a period of growth and change in women’s cricket. Knight’s announcement comes shortly after fellow teammate Tammy Beaumont also decided to retire from international cricket following the Lord’s Test.