England captain Heather Knight gives ICEC report insight amid 'ironing' remark

England skipper Heather Knight says cricket has made advancement but has "a agelong mode to go" aft a damning autarkic study released this week.

Knight said: "I started retired playing men's nine cricket and being asked: 'Do you bash the ironing for the men erstwhile you're finished?'

"Now I pb my team-mates retired successful beforehand of a near-full location with 85,000 tickets sold for the full series."

She added: "Cricket has travel far, but inactive has a agelong mode to go."

The 317-page report, produced by the Independent Commission for Equity successful Cricket (ICEC), recovered determination to beryllium racism, sexism, classism and elitism successful the athletics successful England and Wales.

Knight was among those who submitted grounds to the ICEC.

When asked if she believed it was realistic to expect the report's 44 recommendations to beryllium delivered by cricket's stakeholders, Knight was guarded with her response.

"Potentially. Working towards them is precise important," she said astatine a property league connected the eve of England's T20 lucifer against Australia astatine Edgbaston, portion of their multi-format Ashes series.

"To each of us, it hasn't been a astonishment what's been successful there, astir women's athletics successful particular. I deliberation having done this report, cricket tin pb the mode successful being much equitable, much divers and much inclusive.

"In presumption of the women's game, the precedence is getting the structures successful spot to springiness adjacent accidental - to person a young miss that gets the aforesaid accidental arsenic a young boy, that's successful presumption of facilities, coaching, support, immoderate it mightiness be.

"Getting that pathway close and nonrecreational operation successful the close spot is going to marque the women's crippled sustainable."

Cross acceptable and a determination connected Sciver-Brunt

Australia pb the multi-format Ashes 4-0 connected points aft they wrapped up an 89-run triumph implicit England successful the Test lucifer conception of the bid connected Monday.

To regain the Ashes from Australia, England indispensable triumph 5 of the remaining six games - 3 one-day internationals travel the 3 T20s, each worthy 2 points each.

Nat Sciver-Brunt volition beryllium acceptable capable to play successful the archetypal T20 arsenic a batter but a determination volition beryllium made connected her quality to vessel successful the match.

"Nat's had an assessment. She's good to play. The question is whether she tin play a afloat relation arsenic an all-rounder. We volition person a look," Knight added.

"The astir important happening is Nat is determination arsenic a batter, and we don't privation to propulsion it excessively acold and sacrifice the astonishing relation she plays with the bat arsenic 1 of the champion players successful the world. We anticipation she tin play a relation with the shot but it's TBC astatine the moment."

Knight besides said seamer Cross was disposable for enactment aft dislocating her thumb during the Test match.

England squad: Heather Knight (captain, Western Storm), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice Capsey (South East Stars), Kate Cross (Thunder), Freya Davies (South East Stars), Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers), Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars), Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder), Danielle Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Amy Jones (Central Sparks), Nat Sciver-Brunt (vice-captain, The Blaze), Issy Wong (Central Sparks), Lauren Winfield-Hill (Northern Diamonds), Danielle Wyatt (Southern Brave)