Knight still the right captain for England – Hartley

Despite a 16-0 Ashes drubbing, Heather Knight, according to World Cup winner Alex Hartley, is still the right person to lead England.

Knight and head coach Jon Lewis, 49, have both been under heavy pressure throughout England’s miserable Women’s Ashes campaign, which ended with an innings defeat in the one-off Test.

The first time this feat has been achieved, as Australia won every match against England in every way possible.

As England’s humiliation comes after their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, where they exited in the group stage, Hartley reaffirmed her support for Knight despite mounting pressure on the country’s leadership, particularly head coach Lewis.

“I don’t know what the future holds for Jon Lewis but something has to change – whether that is captain, coach, leadership, management”, Hartley said on the BBC Test Match Special podcast.

“But I firmly believe that Heather Knight can propel this team forward.

You can’t make those decisions when you step off the field after a Test match and lose a series 16-0. Heather will go home and consider whether her position as captain is appropriate for this team.

A significant portion of her will say she doesn’t want to do this any more, but she might spend a few weeks at home to assess her suitability.

Knight, 34, has been England captain since 2017 and has led them out 199 times in all formats.

The captain’s repeated comments to the media that England were “pretty close” to defeating their opponents have raised questions about the messages from both Knight and Lewis, especially at the start of the series. Lewis ‘ comments regarding Australia’s climate benefits were also derided.

Hartley, who played for England from 2016 to 2017, said that the only way to correct the humiliation in Australia is likely to be through honest reflection.

“You can’t get booted out of World Cups before the semi-final and lose the Ashes 16-0”, she said.

“If it was men’s cricket, you’d have to talk about change, so if it’s women’s cricket, you have to do the same.

In her 199th appearance as England captain, Knight would not be alarmed if it was her last one.

Although Knight has been in charge since 2016, she only won the World Cup a year into her tenure, but it seemed like the role was taking a toll against one of the best and most successful sports teams in the world during this extraordinarily challenging series.

In numerous post-game interviews, she has tried to explain why England were gradually falling behind their rivals as the series progressed, and she has been clearly upset and frustrated.

When asked about her future after the Test, Knight responded, “It’s probably quite raw and emotional.”

We’ll sit down and talk about it over the coming weeks because it happens quite soon after it has occurred.

“We will do what’s best for the team, what’s best for women’s cricket”.