When Heather Knight was a little girl growing up in Devon, she played cricket with the boys on her local street. She never imagined that one day she would lift a World Cup trophy at Lord's cricket ground in front of 26,000 spectators. Yet that dream became reality in 2017, and on Thursday, Knight announced she is stepping away from the sport at age 35 — ending what she called "an amazing 16 years" as an England cricketer.
Knight's final match is the historic first women's Test at Lord's, a fitting stage for someone who helped transform the game into the professional sport it is today. She finishes with 320 international appearances, more than any other England woman in history.
"I'm extremely grateful and privileged to have gone on the journey that I have been on as an England cricketer," Knight said. "It's hard to walk away because the dressing room and the people in the dressing room have been a constant in my life for 16 years."
Knight took over the England captaincy in 2016 from Charlotte Edwards, another legendary player. She led her country in 199 matches over nine years — a tenure that outlasted six different British prime ministers. But it was the 2017 World Cup victory at Lord's that defined her leadership. England beat India by nine runs in a nail-biting final watched by millions.
After that triumph, Knight guided England to two more World Cup finals — the T20 version in 2018 and the 50-over edition in 2022 — but both times Australia proved too strong.
Off the field, Knight achieved something no England player, man or woman, had ever done before. In 2020, she became the first cricketer to score a century in all three formats of the game: Test matches, one-day internationals, and T20s.
"There couldn't be a more apt moment for Heather to announce her retirement than during this historic occasion at Lord's, where she led England to a remarkable home World Cup win nine years ago," said Clare Connor, managing director of England Women. "Her contribution has been extraordinary."
Knight's career was not without struggle. Injuries plagued her late in her career, and the 2025 Ashes tour — where England lost 16-0 in Australia — marked the end of her captaincy. She is now transitioning to a new role as general manager of London Spirit's women's team, a position announced in December.
Alongside Knight, fellow England batter Tammy Beaumont is also retiring from international duty. Their departure leaves England at a crossroads, looking to rising stars like Alice Capsey and Grace Scrivens to carry the team forward.
"Growing up as a little girl from Devon and playing with the boys, I never thought I'd get to experience this," Knight said. "It feels right to leave the game with this historic Test at Lord's."