Heather Knight on England’s approach post T20 WC about the need for fresh changes in the T20 side against SA.
Heather Knight on whether England needs any changes gives her opinion on the matter.
As England’s women prepare to play South Africa in the opening game of their multi-format series on Sunday in East London, Heather Knight says the team is determined not to “rip up any trees” following their lacklustre performance in the T20 World Cup last month. She also supports her players to take the criticism well.
Knight emphasised that now was not the time for “big change” to a team that had won an undefeated home summer against Pakistan and New Zealand and had been heavily favoured to contend for their first T20 World Cup title since 2009. The team has seven games in three formats coming up, followed by the women’s Ashes in Australia in January.
But that all changed in a disastrous loss to the West Indies in Dubai. Where Knight’s foot injury exposed her teammates on the pitch. England was eliminated from the tournament on net run-rate as Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews took advantage of a string of missed catches to score quick fifties in an eight-wicket victory.
“We don’t become a bad side because we played poorly in 10 overs in the World Cup. Knight said on the eve of the first T20I. “Leading up to that, we played some brilliant cricket, so it’s obviously a bit of a bump in the road. It’s going to keep us quite humble, and keep us motivated to get better. But I think it’s really important that we don’t rip up trees.”
In her 14-year career, Knight, who turns 34 next month, has seen many highs and lows for England. This including leading the squad to a 50-over World Cup victory in 2017. She did admit, though, that the response to their departure was more hostile than anything she had ever experienced. Alex Hartley, a former teammate, spearheading the attack by claiming that certain England players were failing the squad due to their lack of fitness.
“It’s the biggest response that I’ve seen as a player, for sure, and it’s a good lesson for us. “As the game grows and there’s more eyes on us, and there’s more reward for being an international cricketer. Naturally, that scrutiny is going to increase, and actually it’s a real good sign of where the game is at.
“How we deal with it, and how we move forward from it, is really important,” she added. “It’s about looking at the people around you, and staying strong within the group. Ultimately, the biggest opinions that are important to us as players and staff are in this circle. The people around us.”