Knight asked to step down as England captain

Heather Knight has been asked to step down as captain of the England Women's cricket team after nine years in the role, the England & Wales Cricket Board stated in a media release on Saturday (March 22). Knight's departure as captain comes just 24 hours after Jon Lewis stepped down as head coach of the England's women's team. She will still, however, be available as a batter for the team.

Knight was asked to step down from her role as captain by the ECB following a string of poor performances in the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year, when England failed to make it past the group stage. Merely a few months later, England endured a 16-0 decimation in the multi-format Women's Ashes in Australia.

Knight, who took over the role in 2016, oversaw England's triumph in their home World Cup in 2017 with a thrilling win against India in the final. She also captained the side to the finals in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2018 and the Women's World Cup 2022 in New Zealand. She oversaw 134 victories as captain and led the side to eight record-breaking series wins in ODIs in 2023.

Reflecting on her captaincy, Knight touched upon the magical night at Lord's and thanked all the support staff, she ended stating that being England's captain was the 'most rewarding' part of her career.

"Captaining 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's 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.

"Winning the ICC Women's World Cup on home turf at Lord's in 2017 will always be a huge highlight, but being a part of the huge steps forward made in the women's game off the pitch brings me just as much pride...Thank you to all the players and staff, who have given it everything along the way.

"I have loved being England Captain, it's been the most rewarding period of my career, but for now I'm excited to focus on my batting and supporting the team and the new captain in the best way I can."

Richard Gould, ECB's Chief Executive Officer, said: "I'm immensely thankful for everything Heather has given in her time as Captain. The World Cup win and the thrilling 2023 Women's Ashes will live long in the memory.

"Heather's 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's cricket we have seen since 2016.

"As one of the world's best batters, I look forward to watching Heather play on for England for many years to come."