Tash Farrant has praised Heather Knight as “one of the greats” after the former England captain announced his retirement from international cricket.
Knight, 35, will join Tammy Beaumont in England after the first women’s Test match against India at Lord’s this week.
Since making her debut in 2010, Knight has won 320 caps for England and captained the team from 2016 to 2025, most notably leading the team to memorable victories at the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup on her home soil.
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Heather Knight explained her decision to retire from international cricket, saying she felt it was the right time and shared a special moment yesterday as she announced the news to the dressing room.
Former team-mate Farrant said: “It’s an incredible moment, isn’t it? She was one of the greatest players to ever play for England.” sky sports cricket.
“She has played a very important role in England cricket and women’s cricket in general over the course of her career over the last 16 years.
“She would have wanted to go out on her own terms. Not many people can do that and she also loves Test match cricket, so I am not surprised by the decision to allow her to play a Test match at Lord’s for the first time.”
“England will truly miss her.”
‘Gritty’ and ‘Hardy’ knights loved hard times.
“The 2017 World Cup title here (at Lord’s) will be remembered forever,” added Farrant.
“She actually came at a difficult time. Following Charlotte Edwards as England captain was not an easy task. She was able to quickly rejuvenate the team and win the World Cup.”
Heather Knight led England to victory in the 2017 50-over World Cup.
“What I’ve always admired about her is that she is such a gritty and strong cricketer on the field.
“She loved tough times and felt it made her a better cricketer.”
Knight currently ranks third among England’s all-time top scorers in T20I and ODI cricket, and is also the first English player to score centuries in all three formats.
But Farrant also emphasized that it was Knight’s often ‘unnoticed’ work off the field that she remembered most for.
“Playing under her, she was such a great leader, especially for what she did off the field,” Farrant added.
“She was one of the hardest workers in training, fitness-wise.
“As a young player, you can get caught up in international cricket, right? And if you get too caught up in it, you can lose parts of your life – your friends, your family.
“I’ve always admired Heather because she always maintained a wonderful balance between working hard – making sure she did everything to be pitch-ready – and making sure that when we went on tour, as captain, she immersed herself in the culture of this new country we were in.
“Those are the memories I will have of her, not just on the pitch but the things she did off the pitch. Sometimes it’s the things that go a little unnoticed.”
Heather Knight is the first British player to score a century in all three formats.
‘Good timing for driver retirement’
Fellow former England international Ebony Rainford-Brent also described Knight as a “great” player but believes now is the right time for her to retire.
“To be honest, at first I thought the timing was good,” Rainford-Brent said. “I think it’s really important to get out there on high ground.
“She has done a lot for the game, she captained us in the World Cup final here at Lord’s.
“She was hoping she could win again on her home turf (T20 World Cup) but she got to the final and I think she was just looking forward to it, thinking, ‘I have a lot to give on the pitch and I gave it my all’.”
“Get out while your name is still at its peak. There’s nothing worse than a player who drags it out.”
