Heather Knight quits England captaincy after nine years

Heather Knight has stepped down as the captain of the England women’s cricket team after a remarkable nine-year tenure, during which she led the team in 199 matches. Her decision follows a 16-0 loss to Australia and England’s early exit from the T20 World Cup group stage in October, which contributed to her choice.

At 34 years old, Knight will continue to play for England, despite stepping down from the captaincy. She was appointed as captain in 2016 after former England captain Charlotte Edwards stepped down. Under Knight’s leadership, England won the 2017 Women's World Cup on home soil and reached the finals of two ICC tournaments in 2018 and 2022. However, after some recent disappointing results, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to move in a new direction, with a new captain expected to be named soon.

ECB Managing Director Clare Connor praised Knight’s leadership, saying, “Heather has been an outstanding leader of the England women’s team. She has always led by example both on and off the field.” Connor also highlighted Knight’s memorable century in the 2022 Ashes Test in Canberra and her leadership in the 2017 World Cup victory at Lord’s, noting that these moments had a significant impact on the growth of women’s cricket.

Reflecting on her decision to step down, Knight said, “Being the captain of my country for the past nine years has been the greatest honor of my life, and I will always look back on my time as captain with pride. I have enjoyed the challenge of leading the team, but all good things come to an end, and now I want to focus on preparing myself as a player and as a teammate.”

ECB CEO Richard Gould also praised Knight's leadership, saying, "Heather's captaincy has had a profound impact, not just on the field, but off it as well. The transformation we have seen in women's cricket under her leadership will be remembered forever."

Possible replacements for Knight as captain include vice-captain and star all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has captained the team 12 times in Knight’s absence, winning 9 of those matches. Wicketkeeper Amy Jones is also seen as another potential option.