Knight spent most of her junior career as the only female player on the men's and boys' teams at local club Plymstock.
The Devon native first played for the women's team at the age of 13 and made her England debut at the age of 20.
“Plymstock Cricket Club was my club growing up,” Knight said. “I played through each generation and then in the first team.
“I really enjoyed being there and being with mostly guys and boys. I was really the only girl and that was my start.
“I definitely learned a lot playing for the first team in men's cricket. It was challenging at times but I really enjoyed it and I felt like all the players at the club made me feel really welcome. .
“I got some weird comments from opponents, but I felt like my teammates welcomed me.”
We are delighted to announce the launch of the Metrobank Girls in Cricket Fund. @ECB_cricket
we want to do that 👇
• Triple the number of women's teams by the end of 2026 ✅
• Increase the number of women's cricket volunteers and coaches ✅
• Creating a new generation… pic.twitter.com/6T2nfVUPnc— Metro Bank (@Metro_Bank) May 9, 2024
The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund is co-designed and jointly funded by Metro Bank and the ECB, with a focus on recruiting, educating, supporting and celebrating the people who make women's cricket at their clubs possible. The goal is to triple the number of girls. to the club's team by the end of 2026.
The 2023 National Cricket Survey identified a clear lack of female coaches in the core women's game as one of the key barriers for women and girls at all levels.
Knight added: “To be honest, a lot of people might have been reluctant to play men's cricket.
“It would have been great to play with the girls, but I hope there are more options if you want to play women's cricket or men's cricket.
“I still think that playing men's cricket is a good development for girls who are good enough, but I also think that there are a lot of people like us around, and as women we have a lot of challenges in terms of social aspects. I rate it very highly.
“So it’s nice to have some buddies to hang out with and not feel like you’re alone.”
Knight is currently leading England in the T20I series against Pakistan, scoring 49 points in the winning opening game at Edgbaston, helping his team rescue from 13-4.
As the inaugural champions of women's and women's cricket, I'm so proud to see the impact England's female cricketers are having on the next generation 🥲 https://t.co/ffmsEQ8ip2
— Metro Bank (@Metro_Bank) March 8, 2024
The upcoming ODI series will see Knight return to Taunton, where she first watched women's cricket.
Since then, Knight has revolutionized the way women's cricket is viewed, with last year's record attendance and interest carried over into 2024.
“I remember going to the England game against New Zealand in Taunton and Jenny Gunn was in the team,” Knight said.
“I was probably 15 years old, and I remember being more surprised by the fielding of the Kiwis than the English, although Jenny was a very good fielder.
“I remember thinking it was really cool because you don’t really get to see women’s cricket on TV, so that was my first real taste of women’s cricket.”
Heather Knight spoke on behalf of Metrobank. Visit metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to find out more about the Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund and help champion the future of women's cricket.