Heather Knight’s international retirement: Former England captain “one of the legends”, says Tash Farrant | Cricket news

Tash Farrant hailed Heather Knight as “one of the stars” after the former England captain announced her retirement from international cricket.

Knight, 35, will captain England alongside Tammy Beaumont at the end of the first women’s Test at Lord’s against India this week.

Making her debut in 2010, Knight went on to earn 320 caps for England, while captaining the team from 2016 to 2025, most notably leading the team to an unforgettable victory at the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup at home.

“It’s a great moment, isn’t it? He was one of the greatest players ever to play for England,” said former team-mate Farrant. Sky Sports Cricket.

“She has been part of England cricket and women’s cricket in general for the past 16 years.

“He would have wanted to go out on his own. Not many people can do that, and he loves Test match cricket, so to be able to play a Test match at Lord’s – his first – I’m not surprised by the decision.

“England will really miss him.”

‘Gritty’, ‘hardy’ Knight loved hard times

Farrant added: “I think it’s going to be that 2017 World Cup title here [at Lord’s] that will be remembered forever.

“And actually, he came at a difficult time, following Charlotte Edwards as England captain is not an easy thing to do. For him to be able to impress the team immediately and win the World Cup.

“The thing I always liked about him was that he was strong on the field, a strong cricketer.

“He loved those tough times, and he felt that’s what made him a better cricketer.”

Knight is currently ranked third in England’s top run-scorers in both T20I and ODI cricket, and is also the first English player to score major runs in all three formats.

But Farrant reiterated that it was Knight’s often ‘invisible’ work off the pitch that he would be most remembered for.

“Playing under him, he was a great leader – especially with the things he did off the field,” added Farrant.

“He was one of, if not the hardest working in training, with his intensity.

“As a young player passing through, you can find yourself playing international cricket, right? And you can lose pieces of your life – your friends, your family – because you’re so focused on it.

“I always admired Heather as she always had a good balance between working hard – making sure she did everything, to be ready to be on that field – but also other things when we went on tour, making sure that as the captain we had to go and immerse ourselves in the culture of this new country we were in.

“Those are the memories I’ll have of him. Not just on the field, but the things he does off the field. Things that get overlooked sometimes.”

‘Good time for Knight’s retirement’

His former England teammate, Ebony Rainford-Brent, also called Knight “great” but believes the time is right for him to retire.

“My first thought was to have a good time, to be honest,” Rainford-Brent said. “I think it’s very important to come out on top.

“He has done a lot for this game. He was the captain here in the final of the World Cup at Lords.

“He was hoping that they won again at home [in the T20 World Cup]but he made it to the final, and I think he’s looking forward, thinking, ‘I have a lot to offer off the field and I’m giving everything on it’.

“Get out while your name is still high. There is nothing worse than players who just pull it.”