Former England captain Knight retires
Cricket - ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 - Semi Final - England v South Africa - The Oval, London, Britain - July 2, 2026 England's Heather Knight walks after losing her wicket Action Images via Reuters/Cat Goryn
July 11 : Former England captain Heather Knight has announced her retirement from international cricket after a 16-year career, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Saturday.
The 35-year-old will make her final appearance during the current Test match against India at Lord’s, the venue where she famously led the team to World Cup glory in 2017.
Knight, who debuted in 2010, bows out as England Women's all-time record appearance-maker with 320 caps. She captained the side 199 times between 2016 and 2025, securing 134 victories.
She had scored 7,988 international runs and six centuries prior to her final match, becoming the first English player to score hundreds in all three formats of the game.
"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, and the memories and the experiences and the people have helped shape me to become who I am today," she said in a statement.
"But I’m really content with this decision and I'm really excited for what's next."
ECB Chair Richard Thompson praised Knight as a standard-bearer, saying she would leave the international game in a stronger place. Managing Director Clare Connor added that Knight's contribution had been extraordinary during a transformative period for women's cricket.
