LONDON: England skipper Heather Knight has said that coming to play the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia was not a straight forward decision for her but she decided to participate in the tournament because she did not want to miss it.
WBBL is slated to commence from October 25 and it will conclude on November 29. The competition will be played at a variety of venues around Syndey. The crowds will also be able to attend matches at varying levels based on capacity restrictions.
"I had to think quite hard about it. We spent a lot of the summer in a bubble at Derby and at one point there wasn't going to be any fitness equipment in the room, we weren't going to have a balcony, so I was considering if it was a good idea to come. But we are being really well looked after, we've got everything we need so we can prepare well as we can while being stuck in a room," ESPNCricinfo quoted Knight as saying.
"I had a lot of cricket and training at the backend of the summer so was ready for a week or so off but trying to keep the loads up is the hardest thing. I've got a cushion on the top of my bed which I've been throwing into, although I did miss it the other day, so I was a bit worried about the state of the plasterboard but luckily it hasn't gone through. Not being a seamer it's a little bit easier to get back into batting and I'll just be trying to throw myself into it nets," she added.
Knight is coming to the end of two weeks in hotel quarantine ahead of linking up with her WBBL side, the Sydney Thunder.
"With the uncertainty around the cricket calendar for the next year or so - or maybe longer - I'm at the stage of my career where I'd much rather be playing than back at Loughborough [the ECB academy] training. There are a few extra sacrifices to make this year, families and partners can't come out, so that was one of the hard parts of the decision but I'm looking forward to getting stuck in. I didn't want to miss it," Knight said.
All the WBBL teams will be based in a 'village' at the Sydney Olympic Park and all the WBBL matches will be spread across five venues in Sydney.
The England skipper Knight had spent four seasons with Hobart Hurricanes and now she will be linking up with Sydney Thunder.
"I think it will be good for me to fit into a new environment and try and learn. I've got Rachael Haynes as a captain who is a player I massively respect so looking forward to working with her," Knight said.
On the opening day of WBBL, a total of four matches will be played. The first match of the tournament will be played between Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars.
Sydney Thunder will lock horns with Sydney Sixers in their first match of the tournament on October 17.