Heather Knight aiming for World Cup as she recovers from hamstring injury
Unable to feature in the upcoming series against India, she has instead booked a holiday to Switzerland and plans to watch Sarina Wiegman's England launch their European Championship title defence with Group D fixtures against France and the Netherlands in Zurich on July 5 and 9.
England batter Heather Knight hopes to be fit for the World Cup (Ben Whitley/PA)
This year's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in India is scheduled to begin on September 30, with England's opening match coming against South Africa on October 3.
'That World Cup is what I'm aiming for, it's what I've got my sights set on,' Knight told the PA news agency
'There's always bumps in the road with rehab but hopefully everything goes smoothly and I can be back early September and get a bit of cricket in before the World Cup.
'Things are tracking pretty well to hopefully be fit for that. It's healing well.
'We're not gonna rush things. It's a pretty gnarly injury: I ripped off the tendon quite well from the bone, so I have to be a little bit careful coming back.'
Heather Knight has given her name to a new national state school competition – the Knight-Stokes Cup – which was announced on Thursday (Jed Leicester/MCC/PA)
Knight, who sat out three subsequent ODIs against the Windies and is also missing London Spirit's title defence in this season's Hundred, was on crutches for two weeks but avoided surgery.
She is determined to make the most of her enforced absence amid the 'extremely dull' rehabilitation process.
'I'm going to Switzerland next week to watch the Lionesses play, so that's something I wouldn't have been able to do if I was playing cricket,' said Knight.
'I always love watching women's sport and it's the opportunity to go to a pretty cool country.
'I know a few of the players loosely: I've done a few bits with Leah (Williamson, England captain) and come across a few of the girls at events.
England's footballers became European champions in 2022 (Danny Lawson/PA)
'It's really cool to see what they've done for women's sport in this country.
'Hopefully they can be successful because that Euros win in the UK (in 2022) was a really special moment for women's sport in this country and changed the face of football.'
It has been difficult few months for Knight.
She was stripped of the England captaincy following nine years in the role in the wake of an Ashes humiliation in Australia before sustaining the long-term injury in the early weeks of the new era under head coach Charlotte Edwards.
'The Ashes was pretty tough; I was sad that things had ended like that but the ECB decided they wanted me to have a fresh start and that was their decision and completely fine,' she said of the captaincy, which passed to Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Great to have two of the driving forces behind the Knight Stokes Cup at Lord's today! pic.twitter.com/r6CLb9BqMe
— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) June 26, 2025
'I'm still very motivated to keep playing for England.'
Alongside England men's captain Ben Stokes, Knight has given her name to a new national state school competition, which will launch in 2026 and conclude with finals at Lord's.
The Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup – named after two of England's greatest state-educated cricketers and the brainchild of another ex-England skipper, Michael Vaughan – aims to drive state school participation in the sport.
'It's really important that we keep making cricket accessible,' said Knight. 'I'm really proud to put my name to it.'
:: Schools can sign up for the inaugural Knight-Stokes Cup at lords.org/knightstokescup
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
England are out of lives - but there are three reasons latest final goes beyond luck
They may have already used their nine lives, but England are through to their third consecutive major tournament final at Euro 2025. Yes, England have been extremely fortunate to make it this far, requiring miraculous escapes to defeat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages and overcome sub-par performances. But if the Lionesses have had luck on their side, there is no denying that reaching another final is an impressive achievement - one that is unprecedented in England's history. Sarina Wiegman 's run of finals is even longer, with the Dutch coach extending her streak to five Euros or World Cup finals in a row with the Netherlands and England. Wiegman was asked for her secret after England's dramatic semi-final victory over Italy and replied with a laugh: 'I'm the lucky one. I can't believe it myself.' She gave the credit to her players, coaching staff and the support of the English and Dutch federations - but Wiegman has also played a role in extending her tournament record. And even if a lot of Wiegman's decision-making at the Euros has justifiably come under question, her approach is built on process and the results are hard to dispute. Empowering her players England's togetherness and the unity of the squad has been a key part of their run to the final. Before the tournament began, England's players were encouraged to open up to each other and share their 'why' - their reason being at the tournament. Forward Lauren Hemp said a shared understanding of every players' journey into people 'connects us more as a team' while captain Leah Williamson said: 'You have to know those things about each other for when times get tough.' Wiegman has also encouraged her players to share tough moments with each other, with Beth Mead explaining: "I think we've made ourselves very vulnerable. I think that gives us so much more togetherness, so much more trust of each other.' During the Euros, Mead has shared how she and Ella Toone have supported each other while they are both grieving the loss of a parent, while the Lionesses also came together to call for action after Jess Carter revealed she had been suffering racist abuse online. 'She [Wiegman] empowers us, which I think is important,' Williamson said. 'Especially coming from a woman. She sees us, gives us space to be ourselves and encourages us to be better - and really does encourage us to be better - in a positive way.' Lucy Bronze spoke of how England are able to 'lift each other up' and their resilience has been required when bouncing back from their opening defeat to France or coming from behind to beat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages. The term 'proper England' has been used throughout the tournament and part of that is Wiegman wanting 'our behaviours and how we want to support each other' to contribute to the team environment, believing that it makes a difference when under pressure. There have been many times during the Euros where a team that has previously tasted success could have folded. But England's togetherness, built through their vulnerability, has helped them push through even when they are not playing their best. Building a winning culture They can't keep getting away with it, right? But the more late goals England score, the more their ability to win by any means possible becomes self-fulfilling. Italy and Sweden both left the Euros with regrets after being unable to finish England off. 'We've shown that multiple times,' Wiegman said after the semi-final. England are winning games in a very different way to Euro 2022, with slow starts and a lack of urgency a frequent theme, but the legacy of their super-subs from that tournament has lived on at Euro 2025. The role of England's bench - and the 'positive clickers' - has been instrumental again throughout . The fact Wiegman has already led England to a major trophy by using her squad in this way ensures that everyone buys in. 'It just becomes more natural,' Wiegman explained when discussing her approach at the start of the Euros. 'You have set the tone at the beginning of how you want things. And then you hope that things become organic and everyone knows how it works. When new players and new staff members come in, they just straight away come into the environment and everyone knows how it is and they grow and adapt to it naturally.' Wiegman's standards remain high and Leah Williamson explained: 'She's a winner, she's very competitive, even when it comes to darts. She has that edge to her.' Wiegman said there was 'relief' after narrowly avoiding defeat against Italy but said: 'We never give up. We say we can win by any means. Against Sweden, with the penalty shoot-out, we were a bit lucky that they missed. Tonight we were going for that goal but it gave us something, too. This team just keeps going." In-game changes and staying calm Wiegman defended the timing of her substitutes against Italy after what appeared to be an agonising wait to bring on Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang following their decisive contributions against Sweden. With Beth Mead replacing the injured Lauren James at half time, Kelly came on for Georgia Stanway in the 74th minute with Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones swapping on for Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson in the 85th. "In the second half we were in their half, played well and created some chances. That's why we waited,' Wiegman said afterwards, but it still felt like a long time to persist with an approach that Italy looked comfortable dealing with - particularly when the impact of Kelly and Agyemang was so obvious when they did eventually come on. Ultimately, Wiegman's changes worked because England won the game - and the Lionesses have now scored five goals from substitutes at Euro 2025, the most in the tournament. It should be pointed out, though, that England's bench is one of the strongest at the Euros, with much more depth than the options available to Sweden and Italy. Wiegman's attacking substitutes towards the end of normal time meant that England, once again, ended up with players who were out of position. Beth Mead dropped into attacking midfield while Lauren Hemp put in a shift at left-back during extra time as England piled numbers forward. Wiegman, though, has guided her improvised team through different chapters of the game, particularly after England have found an equaliser but still have an unbalanced line-up on the pitch. 'You try and get that information onto your team-mates quickly and we adapt, and I think that's probably the difference that sets us apart probably sometimes at the moment tactically,' Beth Mead said after the quarter-final. 'If we can get it right, how does [the opponent] keep up with all those changes? I think that works quite well for us. 'Sarina knows what she's doing,' Mead added. 'There's method in the madness.' Perhaps England fans need to keep the faith as well before the Euro 2025 final on Sunday.
Scottish Sun
19 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Bargain supermarket launches giant Lionesses sale where EVERYTHING is £1 or less ahead of Euros final this weekend
KICKING OFF Bargain supermarket launches giant Lionesses sale where EVERYTHING is £1 or less ahead of Euros final this weekend Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LIONESSES boss Sarina Wiegman has made history after England beat Italy 2-1 to reach the European Championship final. And a bargain supermarket has launched a giant sale just before this weekend's mammoth event - so that you can join in the celebrations. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The football fan was delighted with her bargain buy from the retailer Credit: Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group Eagle-eyed shopper A Lioness fan shared her find on Facebook, posting an image of some England flags and her Asda receipt. She captioned the snaps: "Asda have got their England items reduced. "A pack of 2 England flags are now 74p. They had plates, cups, face painting packs, headbands, hats & more. "Perfect for the Lionesses final on Sunday." Asda has stands inside their stores selling £1 hats, flags. cups, headbands and water bottles branded with the St George's Cross ahead of the event, But they have now been slashed in price with some only costing pennies - just in time for you to join in the excitement. Other Asda bargains After Sunday's exciting match, many people will be counting down the days until they are sunbathing by a pool or beach, but some are dreading what they are going to look like. In fact, one in three European women feel uncomfortable sporting a bikini or one-piece, according to a recent survey carried out for Galaxus. But fear not, as George at Asda has got you covered with a five-star bikini that's currently on sale for two quid and shoppers say it's perfect for 'mum tums'. We previously revealed how Sainsbury's Tu Clothing is also delighting shoppers with a five-star rated dress. Lionesses celebrate after bonkers Euro 2025 penalty shootout win over Sweden Priced at just £28, their green leaf-print shirt dress is proving to be a truly versatile hero for the warmer months. Summer Bargain Buys ALDI is selling a no-effort household gadget that can help lessen the load of your household chores. The bargain retailer is currently selling a product that can help to get rid of pesky pet hair that can build up on blankets and other bedding. Sharp-eyed shoppers are rushing to Aldi after a garden must-have that has been dropped to just £4.99. The bargain buy is perfect for summer BBQs and boozy evenings with mates. And B&M shoppers are rushing to buy a trendy furniture set scanning for just £40 down from £110 ideal for giving your living room a spruce. The discounter is shifting the cut-price Chicago table, which comes with two benches, at a 63% discount. Plus, if you fancy a tipple, Bailey's has launched a new "epic" flavour in the UK - but it's only available at one supermarket. Diageo, which makes the tipple, has brought Cinnamon Swirl to the market and it's on sale exclusively in just one store.
The Guardian
20 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ex-cricketer Graham Thorpe ‘spiralled into depression' after losing job, inquest hears
The former England cricketer Graham Thorpe 'spiralled into depression' after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022, an inquest has heard. The 55-year-old died on 4 August 2024 after being struck by a train at a railway station in Surrey. His widow, Amanda Thorpe, later said he had taken his own life. An inquest at Surrey coroner's court in Woking on Wednesday heard that Graham Thorpe was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2018 and had tried to kill himself in 2022. An incident involving a leaked video in Australia in 2022 had left him distraught, the court was told. According to reports at the time, the video, filmed after a dismal Ashes series in which England lost 4-0 to Australia, showed Tasmanian police breaking up a drinking session involving players from both sides. The video incident had 'caused catastrophic damage' to Thorpe, his father said in a statement to the inquest, adding that he believed those who were responsible for his son's safety and care could have done more to intervene. Amanda Thorpe said that up until 2020 there were no psychological issues in particular, apart from 'a bout of depression' in 2018, which did not affect her husband's job. In a statement to the court, she said her husband 'found lockdown and Covid very difficult, very stressful'. Graham Thorpe shared a video with some friends, which was leaked, and the incident was 'blown out of all proportion', leaving him 'distraught', her statement added. She said it was a 'horrible' time, and the later termination of his employment with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was a 'real shock to Graham', which was the 'start of the decline of his mental health'. Thorpe was a prominent batter for England between 1993 and 2005 before spending 12 years in coaching roles. He struck 16 test hundreds, including a debut century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, and represented his country 182 times in all formats. Thorpe's father said his son became 'more and more desperate and helpless in the last year of his life'. Reading Geoff Thorpe's statement, the coroner said: 'You felt those who were responsible for Graham's safety and care could've done more to intervene.' Prof Nick Peirce, the ECB's chief medical officer, said in a statement that after Thorpe's employment ended in February 2022 his private health insurance cover was extended until May that year. In May, the ECB was advised that Thorpe had attempted to take his own life, and Peirce explained that 'at no point during Graham's time at ECB had there been any concern regarding a risk of self harm or intent to end life'. The inquest continues. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@ or jo@ In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at
