Heather Knight has chosen not to compete in the Hundred next year in favour of accepting a new position as the general manager of London Spirit’s first-ever women’s team. After the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will take place domestically, the former England captain is reportedly thinking about taking a gradual break from playing.
In her new role, Heather Knight will assist the coaching staff with technical matters and act as a sounding board for the on-field leadership group, contributing observations from the bench on game days. She will collaborate closely with London Spirit’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, as the team works to fortify its off-field organisation.
I’m excited to join London Spirit in my new position. According to Heather Knight, who was cited by ESPNcricinfo, “I have absolutely loved my time at the franchise, as a player and as a coach in last year’s edition of The Hundred.”
In addition to the T20 World Cup, England will host the inaugural Women’s Test match against India at Lord’s in July. Heather Knight is anticipated to be a key player in both matches as part of her ECB contract, which has one more year left.
“This is a tremendous development opportunity for me, but I still have a strong commitment to and enthusiasm for playing for Somerset and England. It allows me to expand my experiences beyond my playing career and learn from one of the greatest minds in the world of gaming, Mo.
“I am really looking forward to everything in 2026, both on and off the pitch,” Heather Knight remarked.
During the first four iterations of The Hundred, Knight captained London Spirit, a stint that was capped off by the franchise’s 2024 championship victory. Her transition to an off-field role follows her 2025 season involvement as an assistant coach and team mentor despite overcoming a severe hamstring injury.
After a nine-year tenure that concluded with a dismal Ashes tour of Australia at the beginning of 2025, she relinquished the England captaincy in March. After that, Knight missed a large portion of the domestic season due to a torn hamstring tendon she sustained while batting against the West Indies in May. Even though the team lost in the semi-finals, she bounced back in time for the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, where she finished as England’s top run scorer with 228 runs at 48.00 and a strike rate of 85.71.
By completing a Masters of Leadership in Sport at the Institute of Sports Humanities, which was co-founded by former England men’s national selector Ed Smith, Knight demonstrated her long-term interest in sports administration as early as 2023.
“Heather Knight is the perfect candidate to be our first Women’s General Manager because of her extensive knowledge of the women’s game and what it takes to perform at the top level. “The franchise will benefit from having one of the game’s top current players in such a crucial role, and she understands what it takes to win The Hundred,” Bobat stated.
“I’m thrilled about the possibility of Heather developing a reliable relationship with our Women’s Head Coach and am looking forward to working closely with her. Being able to assist Heather with her long-term goals and upcoming career move is also fantastic. I am aware of her continued enthusiasm for playing for England and her steadfast dedication to serving her nation,” Heather Knight continued.
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