FOR an icon of women’s cricket — in fact, women’s sports — in Pakistan, Sana Mir’s induction into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame is a testament to her unwavering spirit and relentless drive to pursue excellence.

Sana is Pakistan’s first female cricketer to find a place in ICC’s esteemed Hall of Fame, being inducted alongside stalwarts of the men’s game including India’s M.S. Dhoni, Australia’s Matthew Hayden, New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori and South Africans Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith.

England’s Sarah Taylor was the only other woman cricketer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Monday. Sana has earned her place for not just her achievements on the pitch but also her role off it.

The 39-year-old burst onto the scene in 2005, at a time when pursuing cricket as a career in Pakistan was hardly a lucrative option for women. Besides, the social stigma attached to women playing the game publicly also pushed away aspiring players. But Sana soldiered on, overcoming the odds: when a back injury threatened her fast-bowling career, she turned herself into a spin-bowling all-rounder to devastating effect.

Sana became the first Pakistan bowler to claim 100 wickets in women’s One-day Internationals, and also attained the top spot in the ICC ODI bowling rankings in 2018 — another unprecedented feat.

As captain, she led Pakistan to glory at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games, while mentoring numerous youngsters as team leader, setting an example for them to follow. Having led Pakistan at five T20 World Cups and two ODI World Cups, she stepped down from her role in 2017 but continued to contribute to the team as a player until her retirement in 2020.

Sana is a role model, advocating child protection and mental health. She is also critical of body-shaming in sports advertising. Her ascendancy to the Hall of Fame should inspire more Pakistani women to take up not only cricket but other sports too.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2025