Heather Knight: Ex-England captain looks to ‘being one of the girls again’

Despite a nine-year stint as England captain coming to an end, the challenges keep coming for Heather Knight.

But the latest – slipping back into the batting ranks with the opportunity to “be one of the girls again” – might be a little more enjoyable after a winter in which England’s women faced scrutiny and criticism like never before.

Knight was absent with injury when England crashed out of the T20 World Cup at the group stage, which led to questions surrounding their fitness and ability to handle pressure, but was removed as skipper as a result of the 16-0 Ashes humiliation which followed.

Since the appointments of new captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and coach Charlotte Edwards, almost every media opportunity has delivered a reference to a “clean slate” or a “new era”, and it is no different for Knight.

“There’s been a lot of change. I really enjoyed it [captaincy], but I’m really excited for the next chapter as well,” said Knight, speaking at the opening of new cricket facilities from IG and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in Kingston.

“I’ve had a bit of time to let the news digest, but I’m quite excited for what’s to come, having a little bit more time on my hands and to be one of the girls again. I’m feeling pretty positive and looking forward to moving on.”

England’s Edwards-Sciver-Brunt era begins with a T20 series against West Indies, starting at Canterbury on 21 May, followed by another white-ball series against India, who are then hosting the 50-over World Cup in the autumn.

Knight took a break after the Ashes but says she did not reflect too deeply on the series and has since been focusing on Somerset in the revamped women’s domestic set-up, so far scoring 244 runs in six innings with two half-centuries.

“That’s probably one of my strengths, I try to take what I can from situations and look forward with what I can do to get better,” Knight said.

“It was a tough series, no beating around the bush, but they’re the series you learn the most about yourself and give you that hunger to be better and turn things around.

“I’ve had a long career now, you get those peaks and troughs, the low moments that drive you. It’s certainly going to be a motivator to keep pushing forward and get better as individuals and as a side.”