England: Heather Knight says fitness ‘not an issue’

Last Updated: November 19, 2024Categories: SportsBy Views: 24

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Captain Heather Knight says successfully being turned into not the put off of England’s shock Females’s T20 World Cup exit and will not be an “topic” in her team of workers.

England dropped five catches in a shambolic defeat by West Indies to condemn them to a community-stage exit in the United Arab Emirates final month.

Within the aftermath, World Cup-winning spinner Alex Hartley mentioned England “have to get more fit”.

Knight’s side return to circulate on Sunday as the first T20 against South Africa in East London kicks off a multi-structure series.

“We now possess got some perfect athletes and some perfect avid gamers that work exceptionally laborious to be match and in a position to play,” Knight told BBC Sport.

Speaking to Take a look at Match Special following the elimination, Hartley, allotment of Knight’s team of workers when England final obtained a trophy in 2017, mentioned: “About 80% of the England team of workers are match and athletic ample, nevertheless there are girls in that side who’re letting the team of workers down in phrases of successfully being.”

Head coach Jon Lewis responded by saying: “I 100% manufacture not accept as true with that.”

Knight added: “I manufacture not voice it turned into a map we lost the recreation and I manufacture not in point of fact feel in finding it irresistible is a controversy on this side.”

England’s off-discipline actions in the UAE were also identified as into ask, with some avid gamers attending a boat event and posting about it on social media.

Lewis and Knight were desirous to present the squad freedom away from cricket in the hope in interprets to performances on the discipline.

“Segment of being an England cricketer is touring, experiencing the countries you are in,” mentioned Knight.

“Right here in South Africa, I am desirous to organise a day out to the Apartheid Museum, desirous to hurry on safari, and that is the reason allotment of being an England cricketer and the enjoyment of touring.

“I will reassure you our girls work exceptionally laborious and taking a ogle in on social media will not be appropriate what we manufacture. You manufacture not focus on the laborious work this team of workers does, because of we manufacture. Loads. That balance is reasonably appropriate.”

England’s World Cup disappointment turned into compounded by the semi-closing exit of the dominant Australia. The trophy turned into lifted by Unique Zealand, a team of workers England possess crushed in their previous seven T20s.

Knight rejected the conception that her team of workers are inclined to buckling in drive moments, describing the World Cup as a “bump in the side road”.

“We performed reasonably badly for eight overs in a competition, nevertheless there are such quite a lot of examples of us dealing with drive in point of fact successfully in immense moments,” she mentioned.

“Unfortunately we did not manufacture that against West Indies, nevertheless I hold it is going to be a extraordinarily appropriate reset for us. This can wait on us humble and motivate us to work laborious on some issues we wish to manufacture higher and wait on growing as a side.”

Knight suffered a calf spoil while batting and needed to gaze from the dressing room as her side struggled in the discipline at some stage in the defeat by West Indies.

She is support to successfully being after a stint with Sydney Recount in the Females’s Massive Bash in Australia.

England’s World Cup exit also came a month after Knight admitted a charge over a historic racist social media put up.

In 2012, when she turned into 21, Knight turned into pictured in blackface at a event at a cricket club in Kent.

“I turned into cosy for it to return out, then I could well perchance per chance also switch on,” she mentioned. “It turned into a characterize from a in point of fact very lengthy time previously.

“I apologised and it is one thing I regret, and that is the reason the close of it. It wasn’t very finest timing, nevertheless I turned into cosy it turned into out of the strategy sooner than the World Cup.”

Speaking in Would possibly well also, Knight published the length around 2022, when England were closely crushed in an away Ashes then almost suffered an early exit on the 50-over World Cup, turned into basically the most advanced time at some stage in her spell as captain.

Knight has been skipper since 2016 and had thoughts at some stage in the earlier 50-over World Cup that it is going to be her final, nevertheless the next one in India is now simplest about 10 months away.

Knight, who can be 34 next month, mentioned: “That turned into a belief I had on the time, nevertheless the next one comes around mercurial.

“I am not taking a ogle too a long way ahead because of we possess two big series in South Africa and Australia. That World Cup is all the strategy thru the nook, nevertheless let’s focus on how we hurry alongside with these ones.”

England’s tour of South Africa comprises three T20s, three one-day internationals and a four-day Take a look at, mirroring the structure of the Ashes series in Australia appropriate after Christmas.

Knight does not hold her side possess a display dispute in South Africa or Australia following the World Cup showing.

“Setbacks invent you additional motivated, wait on you humble and invent you work extra difficult,” she mentioned.

“I would not narrate it is proving a level. It is about us continuously seeking to be higher, being in positions to be a hit and manufacture what we wish to manufacture.

“We’re reasonably assured that we can continue to conform as a side and play our simplest cricket at some stage in these immense series.”

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