In some ways, ending the captaincy on 199 matches in charge feels fitting to summarise Knight’s captaincy.
An immense achievement of longevity, desire and determination – but also falling just short.
The scenes at Lord’s in July 2017, when England beat India by nine runs to win the 50-over World Cup, promised so much.
Knight had delivered success immediately with then-coach Mark Robinson, who had made the ruthless call a year earlier to move on from Edwards and breed the next generation.
But ultimately, there has been little progress since then – the wait for another World Cup or an Ashes win is now up to eight years, despite all of the increased investment into England’s domestic structure, The Hundred, and the franchise opportunities for players all over the world.
Of course, Knight is not to blame for all of that. As captain, she has averaged just shy of 58 in Tests, 37.10 in one-day internationals and 30.19 in T20s, and became the first woman in international cricket to score a century in all three formats.
She is also not only defined by the on-field contributions. Knight has always led from the front with her professionalism, her work ethic and her relations with the media, stepping up to answer difficult questions after defeats and has never shied away from advocating for women’s rights in the game.
Before the start of day one of the Ashes Test match last month, amid all of the ongoing chaos with her team and the speculation about her own future, Knight was at Melbourne’s Junction Oval to support Afghanistan’s female cricketers play their historic exhibition match, having previously called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to provide more support for them.
There was the charge from the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) in September 2024, where Knight was fined for being pictured in blackface when she was 21.
Knight admitted the charge and apologised, saying she had learned from the past and the CDC found there was “no racist intent”.
Former England bowler and current Test Match Special commentator Isa Guha said Knight had been “brilliant with people, selfless, resilient and accountable”.
It may have come to an abrupt and difficult end, but England need to get back to winning ways, and Knight has left enormous shoes to fill in all aspects.
