Test Match Special - Aggers speaks to Heather Knight

Episode Date: August 21, 2018

Test Match Special brings you an in-depth interview with Heather Knight during lunch on day four of the third Test between England and India. The England women’s captain opens up to correspondent Jonathan Agnew about her career, her view on the women’s game, and hopes for the future. She also answers questions from TMS listeners.

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where you'll also find our terms of use. Heather Knight, the England captain, captain of the Western Storm, who have made KSL Finals Day again this year. It's being played on Monday at Hove with commentary on Five Live Sports Extra. That's lovely, Heather. Thank you, Agus. Beaming broadly. It's a bit chilly, isn't it?

Chili up north? This is north for me. It's not chilly at all. I'm very surprised I see you in that puffer jacket. Anyway, now look, first of all we talk about all these other things. How do you sit and watch the men here? Do you look at them where they've battered today and growl a bit? A little bit.

I obviously have sympathy as a player knowing how tough it is and how easy it often is to look in, obviously, on players. But, yeah, I guess it's been a little bit disappointing. They haven't shown a huge amount of fight at the moment. Really hoping that Stokes, Butler can dig in here and at least salvage a little bit from this game, have a little bit of time in the middle and start playing the ball late, play it exactly how they should be, I guess. Yeah, is it tough? And some have been playing one-day cricket, T-20 cricket and so on. Is it, do you think, that is a valid reason, excuse, if you like, for the lack of defensive play? Is it fair enough to cite that, do you think? Yeah, I do. I do feel some sympathy. Obviously, I don't play a huge amount of Red Bull cricket.

I can imagine it's very, very difficult switching between white ball and red ball. Obviously, in whiteball cricket, your main outcome is to go meet the ball and hit it. And I imagine it's very hard to sort of rein that in and wait for the ball to come to you and not try and push it at it. And also when it's coming down at sort of high 80s, 90 miles an hour, obviously is exaggerated. But yeah, I think that has something to do with that, I guess. But the best players in the world, Viracoli, for example, adapts in that way is he's batted brilliant yesterday. it was brilliant to watch. Yeah, a master.

But you've blocked a day out before, haven't you, in a test match? What were you telling yourself when you were going through that? Because that would have been a real change of game for you, for reasons that you've just said. I mean, it strikes me, and I wasn't a batswin, Heather. But it always got me, I was grumpy with batsman who just came back and said, oh, that's the way I play.

And you think, no, adapt, you've got to be able to change your games a bit. And you obviously did that day. What were you telling yourself? How did you make yourself see that day out? literally as simple as take it ball by ball. I kept trying to tell myself to win the next ball, not try and get too far ahead of yourself. It's obviously

really hard to to sort of, when you look at the enormity of the task, sometimes you've got a bat for two hours each session and there might be sort of two, three sessions ahead of you. So it's very difficult not to look too far ahead, but when I've probably found it the most easiest, I've looked at win the next ball, survive the next over,

try and score in five round blocks, try and bat in sort of 15 minute minute intervals and sort of try and see it that way and then the task becomes a lot more bike size I guess a lot more manageable but it's not easy at all and it's something that I've found very very tricky when I've played test cricket obviously not playing a huge amount of any multi-format sort of stuff in any form of cricket bar obviously test matches which you don't play very often it's very tricky to to kind of adapt to the mindset as well of it not just the technical aspect do you do you hanker a bit after test cricket we'd like to play more of it I'd love to

I absolutely love test cricket I was saying next door that probably some of my best moments on the cricket field have been in the whites sort of the elation when you work so hard for wickets it's the elation of taking a test wicket plans, real plans come together

the mental aspect of the game I can understand why obviously in the women's game we don't play a huge amount but when we do it really is special and it really is great to play as a player and I'd love to play more I like your format though

I think some men's I think some men to take that on. You know, not the ashes or something, but I think there's certainly areas of the men's game, internationals, well, with Afghanistan coming in an island as well, where they could play, I think, series like that of points for one day and then the big points for the test match.

It does seem to work well. Yeah, it works brilliantly for us. Obviously, it's been in place for the Ashes. Sort of the last three series, I think, and we've got our Ashes series at home next summer, and it really sort of brings test cricket, I guess, into into our game obviously before it was sort of a one-match series and it was

very difficult I guess to kind of get into the urban flow of it when it is just a one-off match obviously if you got a draw and you you already had the ashes you would retain it so it made it quite tricky not to play sort of a negative brand of cricket if you if you obviously had that test match but or had the ashes stories previously but I think it works really well obviously with the T20 and the 50 over format and the point system how it works it really sort of builds a narrative as the series goes on. You get the battles, not just in the test match in the one day and the 2020 stuff as well.

So it's made it more watchable and it's brought test cricket back a little bit, I think, from the wilderness. Yeah, I'd like it. I think certainly air as the men's game for that. Questions for Heather? TMS at bbc.bc.com.com.com.com.com.com. UK or at BBC TMS you can hashtag Ask Heather

There you go, you've got your own hashtag Heather. So let's kick off shall we. Chris Cassley from East Sutton Cricotten Cricot Club Maidstone says seeing as the England test team seem to crumble at the slightest hint of pressure, what advice

and lessons can you pass on to the men's team ahead of next year's World Cup in England especially in terms of dealing with expectation from the fans and the media? That's a good question actually Isn't it? Did you feel expectation and so on? Yeah, we did. I think the men's ODI team don't need too much advice. The place are out at the moment, but it was a brilliant experience to be a home, part of a Home World Cup.

And it really felt like a bigger and better tournament than it had ever been before in the women's game. And you started to sense that it was something a bit different about the tournament, sort of in the weeks leading up to it. There was so much more media scrutiny, so many more people knew about the tournament and we're asking questions about it. And as the tournament went on, the momentum gathered, obviously, we started doing well and you really sort of sensed the support I guess

and the pressure a little bit as well but as a team we tried to embrace it quite a lot we tried to stay in our own little world as well quite a few of us

went off social media I went off social media for all of the tournament and found it quite useful because it was quite easy to just stay in our little bubble not really realise sort of the fuss

and the noise that was going on around it I guess it's a little bit harder when you're at home obviously when you've got the newspaper and you've got everyone telling you kind of what's going on

but we kept it really simple as simple as we could we kept our preparation for every game the same preparation for the final was exactly the same as it was for any of the group games or any game we would play all over the world

and it was literally as simple as one game as it comes and try and stay in the process of it all when the pressure is truly on in that World Cup final trying to make it really simple Annie Shubbswell for example when she bowed that spell

she literally had two balls in her head a full straight one and a slow ball into the pitch right it's on the loop before we go on air off and it's on my headphones that commentary of anna getting that last week here I mean a great moment that was it one of those little spine tinglers I suppose what is the what you're saying is that you've got to remember that it's support its encouragement it's actually positive out there although it feels like pressure thinking of the England team next year but actually it's everyone just wanting them to do well isn't it

it's not it's not bad pressure and such it's it's good pressure is it Yeah, it is, I think so. And obviously, there'll be the expectation there for the team, considering how well they've done in ODI cricket. Probably go into the tournament as favourites as hosts as well. But it's about making sure you embrace that support and realise that everyone is behind you and find your little windows to get away as well. The great thing about playing at home is you have your home comforts.

You have the odd day off to go and see family go and get away from cricket and relax. And that's the benefit of playing at home. And I'm sure the boys will be able to do that. Has your world changed since a year ago? I mean, how are you recognised? Yeah, it's changed a lot. I've had a few odd instance of being recognised. I was getting changed in the gym,

so I was just in my underwear, and some lady recognised me, which was quite interesting. It's not sure it was gym etiquette to ask me. A few questions about cricket. It was a little bit awkward in just my underwear. Yeah, no, it's definitely changed for all the team. Women's cricket's a lot.

lot more on the map now people know what we're doing which is brilliant for the game yeah I think people respect it a lot more too don't you think you know winners getting behind the team and say hang on a minute this really is this really is something yeah I think last year probably changed a lot of people's perceptions I think about women's cricket

and the standard throughout the competition from all the teams was very very good and I think people that watched it for the first time were very impressed and obviously to have that day at lords I never thought it would happen to sell out lords to have I think it was 200 million people watching around the world albeit a large proportion in India I'm sure

it was a day I'd never thought I'd see for women's cricket and it feels like there's a real sort of momentum I guess behind it now following that and yeah it's an exciting place to be it's a brilliant time I guess to be a women's cricketer right excellent Ashley Heath says I've got a cricket mad 14 year old daughter who's having a successful season she scored 500 runs at under 17 and under 15 level for Cheshire. How important do you think it is to be playing for one of the big six-kir teams

if she wants to progress her cricket to a professional level? Well, brilliant. Sounds like a good season. It's sound good, doesn't it? I wouldn't mind those figures. You sign her up. Yeah, get her in. Yeah, look, I think now in women's cricket there's that pathway. There's the, obviously, the Super League which young kids can aspire to,

and obviously there's the county game as well. and I know there's plans in place to potentially make that less amateur, I think, and become semi-professional in the long run. But, yeah, I think scoring those type of runs and playing as much cricket as you can, and that's how you get noticed, I guess. I was from a smaller county when I grew up in Devon and it often felt like it was very hard to get noticed, I guess. So for me, it was about scoring volume of runs in county cricket as much as I could

to try and progress and make it on to ultimately the engagement. England Academy, which is the level below England team. Yes. How did your pathway work? Because there must be that point where girls playing with boys and so on, there's that sort of line, isn't there, when suddenly, you know, do you carry on playing in those sort of mixed teams? And at what point do you have to move out? It can be a bit complicated, I guess, can it?

Or is it clearer now for young girls who are playing as to what their route should be? Yeah, I guess it can be a bit complicated, but I'd always encourage any sort of girl growing up to play the best standard of cricket that they can. and quite often that's boys or men's cricket. I played boys cricket. I played for Devon Boys teams up to under 13s. I played for my men's team, played my older brother down in Plymstock in Plymouth.

What sort of standard was that? Yeah, it was okay. It wasn't bad. I sort of played in the A division down there. Quite fast, but I mean fast? Yeah, it was sort of quicker bowling than probably I was used to at that age. Probably similar bowling, maybe slightly more erratic than international women's bowling now.

There's a few sort of good overseas players that played in the league. Plymstock wasn't the best deck either. Quite often uncovered. A bit sporty, was it? Yeah, quite slow, quite low. It actually played better when it was wet, interestingly. Did it?

It did. It skidded through. Oh, right. Yeah, it's not often you wake up on a Saturday. It's been raining a little bit. But, yeah, look, I think playing the best standard you can as a girl. And then the systems are so much better than they were when I was growing up in terms of women's cricket. There's so many more opportunities to play for teams and various, stages to get involved in the pathway.

Yeah. What's the point where you think actually if you're a young girl playing, young woman playing that you've got to go off the women's route, really? Is there kind of an age do you think where actually the men's game is bigger, faster, harder or whatever? So that's when you almost do have to break away? I don't think so. I think if I could, I'd probably still play men's cricket now if I had the time.

But you're an international cricket? Yeah, that's true. I think it's finding the right level, isn't it? That's the brilliant thing about cricket there's so many different levels so many different people can play the game and if you can slot in at a level that suits you, play against

sort of even men's teams that are not as not the first team or it might be a Sunday team or whatever it's finding the level that you're comfortable at that you enjoy playing at that's going to be the best thing. I love seeing girls women play village cricket and so on there's no reason why they shouldn't is there

I mean people get a bit sniffy about it sometimes yeah I definitely had a few comments when I was growing down in deepest darkest devon that's for sure they probably knows anything like it Joel age 13 and elliot age 10 in Hampshire says what is the thing that needs to happen to women's cricket to put it further into the public eye well it's doing pretty well at the moment isn't it yeah it's doing well but I think it's not being complacent as well it's keep trying to grow it can you believe how fast it's all happened by the way not really no it's quite crazy how fast it is it's developed how much the skill levels have improved as well

and I can only see that going in one direction keep getting better. But I think more international cricket is going to be key. I was actually a FECA sort of women's playing committee meeting yesterday so various sort of players from around the world sort of got together and it was the first time we'd sort of talked about the women's game and the issues in the women's game.

And one of the big things that came up was the amount of cricket, international cricket, that's played, and fitting in, obviously, alongside domestic cricket as well. And I think that's the biggest thing that will improve the standard even more playing more international games. You generally find in the women's games, there's players coming through that are really talented but they haven't had as much

game time as say a boy that was their age would have played so they don't have that experience, they have that sort of game savourness so I think the more sort of international cricket we can play the more we can fit in the women's calendar isn't as congested as the men's at the moment so it's

trying to find that right balance where there's enough cricket to obviously push the game forward Yeah, I was interested I was talking to a fellow who is hoping to be part of Cricket USA board and it would be wonderful to have cricket played there as a major sport, wouldn't it? But he was saying and he really meant it

he felt the best way to promote cricket in the States as was a women's game actually because if they were to get a team together they can probably start playing international cricket earlier, they can get actually a proper international team going there's not the big catch-up you know between in the men's game between just coming in

I mean Afghanistan and Ireland had to go a bit of a route terminate to get to where they are in the women's game it might be easier to get in and he was actually he really sold the arguments for me that that women's cricket could be the best way to project cricket in the States

that would be I've only been to the States once so I'd love to go and play cricket there Florida or something Disney yeah Isha Gues Hendu actually to Las Vegas last year So that was a lot of fun

That was my only visit to America That must have been a pretty wild trip I should think there, Eason Oh not at all like it's all culture And sightseeing yeah What stays on tour It happens on tour Okay fair enough

You're not gonna be drawn on that Definitely not All right Let's get another question and show it So remember the email again is TMS at BBC.comco.uk For more questions for Heather The men are struggling

We've got 15 minutes to go until lunch And they're effectively Five wickets down, they're 84 for four, but I don't think we're going to see Johnny Bearstone. Can you imagine batting with a broken middle finger on your left hand? It depends what type of break it is, I think. I imagine it would be very hard work, very painful. I actually broke my thumb in the ashes in November

and had to try and battle with it two days later, and it was, yeah, not the most pleasant of experiences. Bethany from Action, we love watching the Kier Super League in the last couple of years, supporting the Surrey Stars. You've got to deal with them on Monday, haven't you? Ebony's mob, isn't it? are you sad about the demise of the competition now this is a really interesting state of affairs isn't it and that you've had effectively these teams set up six of us or franchises aren't they that you've had to work hard

to develop to promote and to have an identity and yet in 2020 only a couple of years down the line now they're going to go and you've got to start all over again because you're going to be mirroring the men's hundred or whatever it's going to be they're going to be playing how does that feel that is a bit sad about that? You also work very hard to have promoted your team. Yeah, I think it's bittersweet to be honest. I think the KSL has done brilliantly. It's done the job it was set out to do to sort of create that competition below international level

that would kind of bridge the gap, I guess. And it's been really good fun actually trying to create an identity from nothing, trying to develop a bit of a culture at Western Storm. How did you start it? How do you go about setting up a new team? I mean, it's going to happen with the men's too, isn't it? in the 100 or where it's going to be, there are going to be these eight teams

that are going to start from scratch. What's your experience of actually doing that? Well, I even got us to help design the logo, so that was interesting, yeah. I think my suggestions were rejected, luckily, so I'm not the most artistic. Did you draw it? No, I didn't.

I just got asked my opinion on a few things. And you could start with a blank sheet of paper? Yeah, pretty much. Well, you're a Western girl. What did you come up with? It was very average. They actually changed the logo last year for the one that I,

approved so it obviously wasn't that good in the end but yeah it's a really exciting prospect actually creating a new team obviously we played a lot of our games at taunton and bristol which is a brilliant place yes to play cricket um i'd be very sad if if cricket was lost there i think in the new competition and the support for the women's game down there has it's been brilliant um you've got the logo in front of you Henry very naughty he's in that sort of mood today has put in the the logo here which is the one that you did so this was the the one that's for the first two years and this is the new ones

and now it's gone to the little sort of yes okay well I thought that's something wrong with that one is there I didn't actually draw it myself I just I thought it was okay I think looking back

I think the new logo is a lot better it's quite bright and colourful but it's gonna go I mean it's it'd be interesting to see how the whole thing does work because people might realise this but the T20 is going to go

effectively isn't it when you're not going to play any T20 domestic cricket you're going to play whatever it is that is divine if you had 100 or whatever it might be and that's going to be your well your league isn't it

so yeah so the the KSA will be replaced by the new competition whatever it will be you know you were part of the panel weren't you that only three I think only three people were consulted initially I was consulted briefly on sort of what the plans potentially were going to be I'm not part of any sort of panel moving forward

but I think it's it will be a good thing I think it will be successful I think the good thing for the women games is sort of being put on a pedestal with the men I guess we've been promised that there's going to be sort of the same push around the women's game that there is the men for this new competition and I think the sort of the reach and the scope of that is going to be a brilliant thing for the women's game obviously back on terrestrial television which is a massive bonus I think for the

women's game yeah we're spotted in your underwear in the gym more often if you're on the well I hope not hopefully not but I also I also think it's a important that the T20 below obviously the new competition is there's some sort of domestic structure in place obviously to replace the KSL because a lot of international cricket that we do play is T20 cricket

and obviously in a shortened format, a hundred ball format as well there's not going to be the opportunity I guess for young players to make a bigger impact as it is in T20 I know it's only four overs short but it can be hard as a young player coming in to put your mark

obviously is the shorter the game the more the less players are likely to dominate it. So I do think it's really important that the structure below the 100 ball or whatever the new competition will be is really clear and in place and obviously allows us to have some form of meaningful domestic T20 cricket. Yeah, it's interesting because there's been a lot of stuff put out there about this new tournament. Who knows whether it's how much of it is true or not. But I would imagine that because it is going to be your preparation for, well, world T20s and so on, isn't it?

I mean, you're not going to want too much gimmickery, are you? I mean, because this is it. This is what you'll be picking your England team from, actually, for the World T20 and so on, won't you? So stuff about no LBWs and things. I mean, that's not really the way to go for, be for you for that or not? Ideally, not, no. I think hopefully a lot of the skills will be transferable.

I think it will potentially help bowlers improve their skills as well. Obviously, 60-navers, the batters are going to come even harder. Have even more freedom than they do at the moment. so your real sort of top-class bowlers. I'm like to bowl a 10 ball over? That would be hard work. There's not many seamers standing up to do that. Poor Ania will be running.

She'll get a sweat on bowling a 10-baller. She's already said she's not bowling. I'll bet she has. Oscar Sumter on email when will we see a woman playing for a men's international team? Arguably the best wicketkeeper in the world at the moment is Sarah Taylor. For Adam Gilchrist said it on this very programme. He said that the best we can keep it in the world is Sarah Taylor.

Could it happen or not? Sarah gave it a bit of a goad. Yeah, I don't think so. Like, I think physiologically, the men and women's game are very different. Men obviously bowl a lot quicker than we do, and it's something we're not used to. We don't grow up facing sort of quick bowling. Could you get used to it, though, do you think?

Yeah, I'm not sure. It's a question I've been asked a lot, potentially. I think there is actually a decreased reaction time physiologically in women, so compared to men. I think I learnt that at you know. I can't remember my degree very well. I'm glad you said that rather than me because I'll get angry letters.

There's going to be someone on the text saying I'm wrong. But there is actually a small, as far as I'm aware, reaction time difference and physiologically, women naturally aren't as strong. So to be honest, I don't see a time where that's going to happen. But I think the women's games in a place now where it's appreciated for its skill level. And Sarah, I think Adam Gilchrist is bang on.

Some of the stuff she does is. She's amazing. It's outrageous that no one else can do. And I think it's high-price in ease. I suppose a wicketkeeper actually is about the one position where you could in a men's game see a woman, because the throwing or whatever it may be,

but actually keeping wicked. Yeah, definitely. You see how skillful Sarah is. Absolutely. With the gloves, how fast her hands are. Yeah, they're proper. Would you change anything about the women's game? Would you, again, you hear things about,

you know, lack of pace on the ball. Shorten the pitch, people say, and those sort of things. I mean, does that stuff wind you up? Or can you see any logic to those sort of arguments? Is there anything you think that the women's game needs or I can see the logic

personally we talked a little bit about this at the FECA meeting yesterday but I don't see why you would change a product that's on its way up women's cricket is obviously on the rise and at the moment it doesn't need to be tinked with too much I don't think if it was sort of not popular and no one wanted to watch it

then I could see see the logic in it I guess and I do actually think short and pitches is better for age groups growing up in the women's game you get bowlers the bowl with better actions they hit the pitch a little bit more and that obviously gives them the skills going forward to obviously go into

the longer pitch and the well full 22 yards as you move up into international cricket but no I wouldn't change too much whenever I get asked what one rule would you change in cricket I would actually ban bowlers from bowling in a hat because occasionally you get bowlers bowling a hat

and I always think it looks dreadful from bowling in a hat who bowls in a hat? Geoffrey Boycott used to bowl in a cap. He did look at Pratt. So Aaron Brindle, Balls in a Hat, yeah. So you'd ban that? Oh, we'd ban that.

That would be the one where I'd change. Nina from Edinburgh, Smutie Mandana and Harman Preak core, amazing players. Are India the best team in the world? That's a controversial question for the captain of England. I think they're a developing side. We obviously played against them a little bit in the last year or so, and we went to India and played a T20 try series with them. And they're a very good side, no doubt.

What she played was Smitty closely at Weston Storm, and she's a very good player, very good player indeed. She's been brilliant for us at the top of the order. She's taught me a little bit of Hindi as well, which was good fun. That's useful. Yeah, so first innings were actually battered with her down in Taunton, and she said she was getting a little bit tired, and it was finding it hard to call in English,

so why ask her, how do you call in Hindi then? And she said it was Ha, which means no. it's spelled H-A-A-N but the way she said it was had which obviously sounds quite a lot like nah so it could have been a slight issue with the running disaster it could have been

luckily she kept it in boundaries and we didn't have to use it too much but yeah I think they've been brilliant additions to the Super League they bring a new audience I think to the women's game and the popularity of women's cricket over there is changing massively women's T-20 coming up of course

in the West Indies and we'll have full commentary of all of that and Philip in Tooting says Do you feel under pressure to perform in the upcoming World T20 because of the success last year? I mean how much of a crossover is going to be 50 to 20?

How are you going to cut that down? Do we start as favourites for that? No, I don't think we'll start as favourite. They're themselves, aren't they? Windies. Yeah, they are. They're the reigning champions and obviously in their home conditions. I don't think we'll go in as favourites. I think in T20 cricket

we've played some really exciting cricket over the last couple of years but have been a little bit inconsistent So I think potentially Australia might go in as favourites. They've obviously been very successful in World T20 events. But I think we'll hopefully be in a good place to play well. We've shown glimpses of where we could be as a T20 team. Some of the chases we had in India, a chase we had in the last game of the Ashes multi-format series out in Australia and November as well

sort of showed glimpses of where we could be as a T20 side. And after this summer, the way we played, it's become a lot clearer, sort of our best 11, is obviously a good place to be going into that tournament. Do you get a glimpse of what it's like when you travel around about playing different conditions because you are predominantly playing T20? Do you get therefore what we're lucky enough to have the men's game of having to adapt to spin, for instance, in India?

I mean, or other pitches simply actually what you play on for T20 just usually more or less the same wherever you go? Well, the last World Cup we played in India was played on very, very different surfaces. So we played up at Daramashala where there was a drought and 110, 115 was a good score. It was turning square. And then we turned up for the semi-final at Delhi

and it was on an absolute road. So yeah, you definitely do get that in T20 cricket. I think the pitches in the West Indies potentially might be a little bit on the slow side from my experience being there a couple of years ago where we played on very slow turning wickets that were really hard work. So yeah, you definitely do get the different conditions

that you have to adapt to. not perhaps these conditions though Chris from London played at the top of Kilimanjaro well not the conditions are like up there but you got up there you all right up we broke the world record for the highest ever cricket match

so there wasn't a lot of oxygen up there I mean it's a slog to get up my steps under it and I mean there are a lot of casualties on the way aren't there yeah there was we went up quite slowly to obviously make sure that there was enough for us to play the cricket match Ashley Giles suffered a little bit from altitude sickness he got a little bit grumpy

as the game went on He's like that all the time But it was a lot of fun It was very surreal To be playing cricket at the top of Africa What was the pitch like? We actually took a plastic pitch up So the lovely porters that

Carried all our stuff Carried all the pitch And the cricket equipment up as well And we sort of rolled it out In the sandy crater And kind of had a game That's brilliant Well he does say

What's your best cricket moment Apart from playing for your club or country What's the highlight for you at the moment Apart from winning the World Cup But I don't know that's hard to say but I'm just throwing that in there because that obviously, I suppose, is, isn't it? Yeah, it's hard to look past, obviously, that day at Lords last year, the World Cup is not very often you get to play a home World Cup once in a career,

so that was definitely the highlight. Riannon Hillman, this is a good question, she's age 12, she's sat on the stand at Trent Bridge, and she says, do you have any advice on being one of the only girls in a mixed team and any advice on when to go to county trials? And we've sort of touched on that, do we? but what would you say to her? She's 12 and she's obviously, well, she wants to follow you. What would you say to her?

I'd say when you're sort of in that situation and it was one I was often in as a youngster, you always feel the pressure, I guess, to prove yourself to show you that you're good enough to be there. But I'd give her the advice to accept that you're going to have bad days in cricket sometimes as well. And obviously there's the pressure there to prove yourself as a girl, but you're always going to have bad days and not, I guess, to listen to any noise around that

just try and enjoy your cricket and I'm sure the boys team will make you very welcome as lots of players did when I was growing up. Yeah. Did you ever feel really cross because, oh, there's a girl coming in, right? Better be careful on our lads, you know, and they sort of, you know what I mean? Well, it gave me an extra sort of zing

to try and prove myself, I guess, and I think that's something I developed quite young, probably because of that, and something that I've taken into my career and into my games with England, and I always wanted to show that I'm good enough, I guess, and improve myself and have that sort of grit, I guess, to try and do well. Jack's boy, James Hobbs, says,

who took the longest to recover from their hangover after the World Cup final? That's the last question for you here, though. Oh, I can't possibly answer that. I think, well, I actually had about food poisoning, so I didn't enjoy my World Cup final evening that much, but Catherine Brunton, Nat Siver did try and head into London Town with, well, still in full kit with their medals around their neck.

They actually got declined entry from a few places. Oh, there we go. That sounds like, okay. I think the expression is they went large, isn't it? I was taught that last week, but I think Ebony taught me that one. That sounds like Ebony. It does. There's lovely to see you.

Thanks for coming. Thanks for answering all these questions. It's terrific. And good luck on Monday. Thank you very much. Yeah, go well. Thanks for taking the time to download this BBC Radio 5 Live podcast.

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