Considering the catastrophic nature of the Ashes defeat at the beginning of the year, it was inevitable that England would be starting the summer of 2025 with a new coach and captain.

But this is unfamiliar territory.

Since 2000, England have only had three permanent women’s captains and all three could still be playing a huge role in the next era.

Clare Connor is the current managing director of women’s cricket and will therefore oversee the process of appointing the next leader, Charlotte Edwards is a candidate to become the next coach and Heather Knight, who has fulfilled the job for the past nine years before she was sacked on Saturday, will likely return to the batting ranks.

Knight’s era of captaincy is one which started under the immense pressure of filling the shoes of an all-time great in Edwards, delivered a World Cup win just a year after her appointment and throughout it all, she was tasked with bridging the amateur generation with the professional.

But it came to a cruel end – a 16-0 humiliation at the hands of their greatest rivals, where she had to continuously fight back the emotions after each difficult interview and stand on the vast Melbourne Cricket Ground outfield to watch Australia’s triumphant celebrations as her own side had unravelled.

And while it should not be defined by the most recent thrashing, it has been a turning point with head coach Jon Lewis also making way on Friday.

Professional sport is merciless, and Ashes defeats usually more so than most.

So England’s slate is wiped clean, and Knight’s too – she has stated her desire to continue playing and if she can rediscover the spark that was dimmed by Australia, she will be a valuable asset to the next captain, hopefully channelling Joe Root’s run-scoring feats since he relinquished the men’s Test leadership.

In some ways, ending the captaincy on 199 matches in charge feels fitting to summarise Knight’s captaincy.

An immense achievement of longevity, desire and determination – but also falling just short.

The scenes at Lord’s in July 2017, when England beat India by nine runs to win the 50-over World Cup, promised so much.

Knight had delivered success immediately with then-coach Mark Robinson, who had made the ruthless call a year earlier to move on from Edwards and breed the next generation.

But ultimately, there has been little progress since then – the wait for another World Cup or an Ashes win is now up to eight years, despite all of the increased investment into England’s domestic structure, The Hundred, and the franchise opportunities for players all over the world.

Of course, Knight is not to blame for all of that. As captain, she has averaged just shy of 58 in Tests, 37.10 in one-day internationals and 30.19 in T20s, and became the first woman in international cricket to score a century in all three formats.

She is also not only defined by the on-field contributions. Knight has always led from the front with her professionalism, her work ethic and her relations with the media, stepping up to answer difficult questions after defeats and has never shied away from advocating for women’s rights in the game.

Before the start of day one of the Ashes Test match last month, amid all of the ongoing chaos with her team and the speculation about her own future, Knight was at Melbourne’s Junction Oval to support Afghanistan’s female cricketers play their historic exhibition match, having previously called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to provide more support for them.

There was the charge from the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) in September 2024, where Knight was fined for being pictured in blackface when she was 21.

Knight admitted the charge and apologised, saying she had learned from the past and the CDC found there was “no racist intent”.

Former England bowler and current Test Match Special commentator Isa Guha said Knight had been “brilliant with people, selfless, resilient and accountable”.

It may have come to an abrupt and difficult end, but England need to get back to winning ways, and Knight has left enormous shoes to fill in all aspects.

This is the biggest question of all.

Knight’s steady, reassuring presence at the helm has been a double-edged sword, and the management’s lack of succession planning is now coming back to haunt them at a very tricky time.

They have until 21 May to appoint a new coach and captain in time for the white-ball series against West Indies, which is followed by India’s arrival at the end of June, before a potentially very difficult 50-over World Cup in India at the end of the summer.

But there is no excuse. England have had nine years to plan for the future, and they have not done it.

Consider the seamless transition from Alyssa Healy to Tahlia McGrath when the former injured her calf before the first Ashes T20, and the likes of Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland and Ash Gardner who all appear to be competent, future candidates.

Nat Sciver-Brunt seems the most likely successor considering she has been Knight’s deputy and stated her desire to fulfil the role during the Ashes, but England imploded under her leadership during the Commonwealth Games when Knight was injured, and the same happened during last year’s shambolic T20 World Cup group-stage exit.

England also need to be wary of adding any more to Sciver-Brunt’s workload where she already carries the batting line-up and is one of the most experienced bowlers, and is soon to become a mother for the first time.

Amy Jones is another who has deputised for Knight in the past but admitted the role did not come naturally to her, which makes her return unlikely, while other senior players in Kate Cross and Tammy Beaumont do not play all formats.

Off-spinner Charlie Dean has been earmarked as a future England captain for the past couple of years but has yet to be given an opportunity.

Sophie Ecclestone, the world’s best bowler, is another outside contender having had leadership experience with Manchester Originals in The Hundred, but her refusal to be interviewed by former team-mate and now pundit Alex Hartley during the Ashes led to unwanted headlines and attention on England’s team culture and perception.

A nine-year tenure is unlikely to be repeated again, but with Knight still in the dressing room, there is nobody better for the new leader to learn from.

A new era begins here.