She might be the poster girl for English Cricket but team captain Heather Knight isn't one to rest on her laurels. The ladies team are currently battling it out in Australia to bring home the Ashes. Good luck girls. Here Heather, 26, talks to us about her intense training schedule and her collaboration with health food company Squirrel.

Becoming a Cricket Star

LC: How did you get involved in cricket?

HK: I started out at my local club Plymstock CC down in Plymouth along with my older brother. I mainly played in boys teams growing up.

LC: Do you have to change your diet in the led up to a big tournament like the Ashes?

HK: My diet doesn't change too much, but as we've been in a training block the month before the Ashes, with a lot of focus on our fitness levels to get ready for the added heat in. That means making sure I get the right food in to recover well from those harder sessions - lots of protein to recover and adjusting carbs depending on the intensity of training.

LC: How often do you have to train? And, how do you balance that with your personal life?

HK: We train or play 6 days a week, which can be hard to balance with my personal life sometimes. I've had to be much better at organising my time and make sure I get enough time to relax away from the game too.

LC: How do you deal with all the travelling and spending weeks away from home at a time?

HK: Traveling is one of the best parts of the job, but it does mean we're away from home a lot, I haven't had a Christmas at home for 3 years! Luckily, with technology, it's easy to stay in contact with people at home.

LC: You must be pleased that England has become the number one ranked team in the world for the first time after knocking Australia off the top of the ICC women's rankings.

Does this mean you will be bringing the Ashes home?

'It's Tough in OZ'

HK: We've marginally overtaken Australia, but with it being so close, whoever wins the Ashes will probably take the world No.1 crown too. Australia is a tough place to go and win, so we are having a real challenge to bring the Ashes home and we are having to play very well to do so.

LC: What are your top tips for being a team captain?

HK: Captain's tips: decide what sort of leader you want to be and be consistent in that. Be honest and listen. But, remember, not everyone is going to agree with every decision you make.

LC: If you weren't a cricketer, what would you have done?

HK: I have a degree in biomedical science and Physiology so I probably would have taken that further.

LC: Do you have any plans for your future after cricket?

HK: No plans yet, but I'd love to stay in sport in some capacity.

LC: You're very proactive in encouraging women into sport, what more do you think could be done?

HK: The more that women's sport is in the media, the more it gives role models to get more girls playing and it also attracts more sponsors into the game.

LC: How do you like to spend your downtime?

HK: I love going out road biking and trying different cafes and restaurants wherever we visit

LC: How did you become involved with Squirrel' ‘Best in Field’ series?

HK: They approached me to help design a salad for them, I jumped at the chance because I am a big foodie and I eat healthily and I like to encourage other people to eat healthily.