Former Pakistan skipper Bismah retires from international cricket

Staff Report

 LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof has called time on a storied 17-year international cricket career with immediate effect. She is, however, available to play league cricket. One of the most prominent names in women’s cricket, the 32-year-old finishes as Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in both the ODI and T20I formats. She scored 3369 runs in 136 ODIs at an average of 29.55, which included 21 half-centuries and a best score of 99. In T20Is, she had 2893 runs in 140 games, with 12 fifties to her name and an average of 27.55. Maroof captained Pakistan in a total of 96 games ––– 62 T20Is (27 wins) and 34 ODIs (16 wins). Only Sana Mir led in more T20Is (65) for Pakistan than Maroof, while in ODIs she was third on the list behind Mir (72) and Shaiza Khan (39). “I have decided to retire from the game I love the most. It has been an incredible journey, filled with challenges, victories, and unforgettable memories,” she was quoted as saying via a PCB release on Thursday. “I want to express my gratitude to my family, who has supported me throughout my cricketing journey, from the very beginning until now. I also want to extend my thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for believing in me and providing the platform to showcase my talent. The support from the PCB has been invaluable, particularly in implementing the first-ever parental policy for me, which enabled me to represent my country at the highest level while being a mother. Lastly, I would like to thank my fellow players, who have become like family to me. The camaraderie we shared both on and off the field is something I will cherish forever.”

Maroof entered the Pakistan team as a 15-year-old against India in Jaipur in 2006 and quickly established herself as a regular. She scored 43 on debut but took four years to record her maiden half-century in 2010 against Netherlands. Her highest score of 99 came against South Africa in 2015. It didn’t take her long to record her first fifty in T20Is though, getting there in just her second game against Sri Lanka in 2009. Maroof was handed the Pakistan T20I captaincy in June 2016 and then the ODI role in September 2017. She took an indefinite break in December 2020 to prepare for the birth of her daughter, Fatima, and then take care of her but returned in January 2022 for the ODI World Cup and has been juggling cricket with her new life as a mother ever since. Maroof stepped down from captaincy last year after Pakistan’s group-stage exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup. She most recently played the three-match ODI series against West Indies and scored 65 in the second ODI. Pakistan lost the three-match series 3-0.

Maroof was part of the women’s team that won the gold medal twice in the Asian Games, in 2010 and 2014. She also represented Pakistan in four editions of the Women’s ODI World Cup (2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022), captaining the team in the 2022 edition held in New Zealand. Maroof featured in eight editions of the T20 World Cup (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023) and led the side in the 2020 and 2023 editions held in Australia and South Africa, respectively. No other player from Pakistan has played more ODIs than Maroof’s 136, while she is second on the list in T20Is behind Nida Dar.