BISMAH Maroof’s contribution to Pakistan cricket extends beyond the field. The 32-year old, Pakistan’s most-capped One-Day International women’s cricketer, has announced her retirement after a 17-year career in which she inspired countless young women to take up the sport. Not only does the former captain retire as the country’s leading international run scorer, she also leaves behind a legacy as a champion of women’s rights. Just months after becoming a mother for the first time, Bismah led Pakistan at the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand where she and her daughter gained a massive following. It was the story of the tournament — a woman playing at the game’s grandest stage soon after giving birth. Not just that. After she announced that she would be going on an indefinite maternity break, the Pakistan Cricket Board included a clause in central contracts for women cricketers that allocated 12 months of paid parental leave. Her sudden decision to retire, though, just after Pakistan lost a three-game ODI series at home to the West Indies, means she was unable to get the fitting farewell she deserved. Bismah had been named in the squad for the Twenty20 series against the West Indies that began on Friday but perhaps she felt she had run her race having scored just 91 runs across the three ODIs.

Pakistan now face the challenge of replacing the prolific Bismah. That task will fall on the shoulders of the reconstituted selection committee, which has been expanded to seven members to cast a wider net for potential women players. The hope is that with more investment in women’s cricket, new talent will emerge. Bismah might have retired but she remains an asset to Pakistan cricket and the PCB could use her expertise in mentoring fresh talent — not just in terms of cricketing skills but also in how women cricketers can become role models for the next generation of aspiring players.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2024