KARACHI: Former Pakistan women’s team captain Bismah Maroof announced her retirement from all cricket with immediate effect on Thursday.

Bismah’s decision came two days after Pakistan were subjected to a 3-0 One-day International whitewash by a visiting West Indies side here.

The two teams are set to take on each other for as many Twenty20 matches from Friday, and Bismah, who was named in the squad for the series initially, is not be available for it anymore. Her replacement is likely to be announced after the first match.

In the ODI series, Bismah could manage only 91 runs in the three matches as Pakistan failed to show any sort of resistance against Hayley Matthews’ side.

The left-handed batter represented Pakistan in 276 international matches — the most for any women cricketer from the country — after making her debut in an ODI against India in 2006.

She played her first T20I against Ireland three years later.

During her time as a Pakistan player, she accumulated 6262 runs, including 33 half centuries and bagged 88 wickets with her right-arm leg-spin.

“I have decided to retire from the game I love the most,” Bismah was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday. “It has been an incredible journey, filled with challenges, victories, and unforgettable memories.

“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.”

Bismah 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.

The PCB introduced a parental policy to support Bismah as she juggled motherhood with cricket.

“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,” she said.

Bismah was part of the Pakistan side team that won the gold medal twice in the Asian Games, in 2010 and 2014. She also represented the national side in four editions of the ODI World Cup (2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022), captaining the team in the 2022 edition held in New Zealand.

Bismah played 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.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024