Knight Hopes World Cup Legacy Eclipses 2017 Win

Heather Knight hopes this summer's T20 World Cup connected location ungraded tin beryllium transformative for women's cricket successful nan UK aft conceding occurrence successful 2017 was not afloat capitalised on.

Knight, 35, captained England to triumph successful nan 2017 showpiece arena astatine Lord's and is presently preparing for this year's T20 tournament, which originates successful 50 days' clip erstwhile England return connected Sri Lanka astatine Edgbaston

"I deliberation location astir apt wasn't nan building successful spot to really maximise it successful 2017," Knight told BBC Sport.

"Obviously home cricket successful this state wasn't professional. We're successful a wholly different spot now. There is that existent scaffolding and it's a batch much normal to beryllium a female successful sport, which is really breathtaking and hopefully we tin capitalise connected it a small spot more."

In nan 9 years since 2017, Knight has seen nan home crippled toggle shape done nan preamble of a master home building and The Hundred.

England, however, person not won an ICC trophy successful that time. They reached nan finals of nan T20 and 50-over editions successful 2018 and 2022 respectively but mislaid some to Australia, and were beaten by South Africa successful nan semi-finals of some nan 2023 and 2025 tournaments.

In 2024, they grounded to make it retired of nan T20 World Cup group shape aft a conclusion by West Indies but Knight hopes a caller revamp to nan existent region building will salary off.

"I deliberation we've seen that successful this state complete nan past fewer years really finance and really having nan correct structures, [and] The Hundred, nan home set-up is successful a really bully spot now. So if you get that right, nan remainder will follow," Knight says.

"I deliberation what it [2017] did do was alteration perceptions of what women's cricket could beryllium if it was done properly, if it was funded properly."

The England and Wales Cricket Board's Head of Strategic Growth, Gemma Barton, acknowledges nan request to grasp nan momentum of being hosts.

"We aren't waiting until nan tourney to find retired if England triumph to spot whether we tin create legacy. From that constituent [2017] onwards, we person past started to spot those foundations turn and that guidelines build," she explained.

"Last year, 24,000 women's fixtures were held crossed England and Wales. So that maturation has taken its time, but now we're reaping nan rewards of those awesome foundations from that strategy."