England Captain Knight Eyes Legacy at Home T20 World Cup

Nine years after lifting the World Cup trophy at Lord's, Heather Knight believes England women's cricket is finally ready to turn tournament success into lasting change.

The 35-year-old captain led England to victory in 2017, but admits the sport wasn't structured to build on that momentum. Now, with the T20 World Cup returning home in 50 days, she sees a second chance to get it right.

"Obviously domestic cricket in this country wasn't professional," Knight told BBC Sport. "We're in a completely different place now."

The transformation has been dramatic. In 2017, women cricketers weren't paid professionals. Today, England has a fully professional domestic structure, The Hundred competition, and 24,000 women's fixtures played across England and Wales last year alone.

Knight has played in 10 World Cups and made 300 international appearances, but England hasn't won an ICC trophy since that magical 2017 summer. They've reached finals and semifinals, but the silverware has stayed out of reach.

This tournament feels different. England opens against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston with home crowds behind them and proper infrastructure supporting the game at every level.

The Ripple Effect

The England and Wales Cricket Board isn't waiting to see if the team wins before creating positive change. Strategic Growth Head Gemma Barton says the groundwork laid since 2017 is already paying off in grassroots participation and professional pathways for young players.

Knight draws inspiration from England's Lionesses football team and Red Roses rugby side, both of which won major tournaments at home in recent years. Those victories sparked surges in girls picking up sports and changed what young women believed they could achieve.

"If we can be successful and perform really well, we can leave a legacy of women's cricket in this country," Knight says. The captain refuses to call this her final World Cup, preferring to stay present rather than pile pressure on herself with "last chance" thinking.

The real victory might already be happening off the field, where thousands more girls now see professional cricket as a genuine career path, not just a dream.