Pak cricket star: gold, captain. | © Twitter (@cricbuzz0
Bismah Maroof, the former captain of Pakistan’s cricket team, announced that she’s retiring from cricket immediately. She’s 32 and has played for Pakistan for 18 years, in 136 ODIs and 140 T20Is. Although she didn’t score a century in international cricket, she has the most runs for Pakistan in ODIs (3369 runs) and T20Is (2893 runs), and she’s hit the most fifties too – 21 in ODIs and 12 in T20Is.
Maroof started playing for Pakistan when she was just 15 years old 2006. She became captain of the national team in T20Is in 2016 and ODIs a year later. As captain, she led the team in 34 ODIs and 62 T20Is, winning 16 and 27 matches, respectively. She has the best win percentage among all Pakistani women captains.
Maroof played in eight World Cups despite facing numerous injuries throughout her career. Additionally, she was a key member of the teams that clinched gold medals at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014.
Besides being an important part of Pakistan’s batting lineup and one of their best fielders for over ten years, Maroof also took 80 international wickets with her part-time leg spin.
“I’ve decided to stop playing the game I love so much. It’s been an amazing journey, with lots of tough times, victories, and unforgettable memories,” she said in a statement. “I want to thank my family for supporting me throughout my cricket career, from the very start until now.
“I also want to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board for believing in me and allowing me to show what I can do. The support from the PCB has been really helpful, especially when they introduced the first-ever parental policy for me, which allowed me to play for my country even while being a mother.
“I’m really thankful to the fans for always supporting me, whether I was playing at home or away. And finally, I want to thank my fellow players, who have become like family to me. The bond we’ve shared both on and off the field is something I’ll always treasure.”
