London, July 12 (IANS) Former England spinner Alex Hartley has hailed Heather Knight’s extraordinary contribution to women’s cricket following the England captain’s decision to retire from international cricket, saying she was not surprised by the announcement and describing Knight’s final appearance at Lord’s as “the perfect story” to cap an illustrious career.

Speaking about Knight’s farewell during the historic, ongoing women’s Test at Lord’s, Hartley reflected on the former skipper’s relentless commitment to the game and the timing of her decision, saying that her retirement had been on the horizon, given the physical and mental demands that accompanied her years of leadership.

“It’s not really taken me by surprise. I mean, Heather’s done so much for the game and there’s only so much you can do before you’re tired of keep fighting and keep, you know, putting yourself forward,” Hartley told BBC.

She pointed to Knight’s selfless approach as one of the defining features of her career, saying the former England captain consistently gave her all to the team.

“She leads from the front. I’ve never seen anything like Heather Knight before. You know, everything she does, she gives more than you would think is humanly possible. So she’s you know, I’m not surprised she can’t really give any more,” she added.

Hartley also revealed that Knight had been contemplating retirement for some time, noting that elite athletes often face the difficult task of deciding when to step away despite major tournaments always lying ahead.

“And, you know, she said she’s been thinking about it for a while. There’s always something around the corner, right? So there’s always the ashes next summer. Then there’s always the Olympics. So for yourself and in your mind, you’ve got to think, when is the right time for me to call it a day? So I wasn’t overly surprised that she’s called it a day,” she stated.

Knight’s final international appearance came at Lord’s, a venue closely intertwined with some of the biggest moments of her career. Hartley said the occasion provided a fitting conclusion to the former skipper’s journey in England colours.

“I think, you know, what a perfect place for Heather to go out on. She lifted the trophy here in 2017, a World Cup-winning captain. She’s achieved so much. She’s done so much for the women’s game and to play the first-ever Test match here at Lord’s and then to go out here. I think it’s just the perfect story for her,” Hartley said.

Knight leaves the international stage as one of England’s most influential cricketers, having captained the side to the 2017 Women’s World Cup title and overseen a transformative period for the women’s game. Her farewell at Lord’s, the venue of her greatest triumph as captain and the site of the first women’s Test played at the iconic ground, marked the end of a career that has left a lasting impact on English cricket.

–IANS

vi/