Heather Knight

Heather Knight was left with big shoes to fill when she was named England captain in June 2016 following the retirement of Charlotte Edwards. But she rose to the task admirably and made the role her own - for nearly nine years. A top-order batter who developed a handy sideline in offspin, having initially bowled medium pace before a serious hamstring injury, Knight had become a regular presence since making her debut in 2010.

Her Test debut followed a year later, against Australia in Sydney, and it was in the longest format that she produced one of her most memorable performances on the international stage. Facing Australia again, in 2013 in Wormsley, Knight scored 157 in a near-seven-hour stay in the middle, which helped England secure a draw that ended up going a long way towards ultimately regaining the Ashes.

Knight scored a maiden limited-overs century during England's victorious World Cup campaign in 2017 and, during the T20 edition three years later, she became the first woman to complete a set of centuries across all three formats with an unbeaten 108 against Thailand.

She scored her second Test century in a drawn thriller in Canberra in 2022 but England never managed to wrest the trophy back while she led the side.

A hip injury ruled her out of the home Commonwealth Games, where England lost the bronze-medal match to New Zealand. A group-stage exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup - Knight retired hurt during England's fateful defeat to West Indies - followed by a 16-0 Ashes drubbing a few months later cost her the captaincy. That was despite being one of England's better performers in Australia. She continued in a playing role, but suffered a hamstring injury during West Indies' visit in May 2025 and faced a battle to be fit for the World Cup.