With immediate effect, Bismah Maroof, a former captain of Pakistan, has ended his illustrious 17-year career playing cricket internationally. Still, she’s free to play league cricket.
Among the most well-known figures in women’s cricket, the 32-year-old ends as Pakistan’s top run scorer in both Twenty20 and One-Day Internationals. In 136 One-Day Internationals, she amassed 3369 runs at an average of 29.55, with 21 half-centuries and a career-high score of 99. She amassed 2893 runs in 140 T20I games, 12 fifties, and an average of 27.55.
In 96 matches overall, Maroof led Pakistan in T20Is (27 victories) and ODIs (34 victories) (16 wins). In T20Is, Sana Mir led Pakistan more often than Maroof (65), while in ODIs, she trailed 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.”
In 2006, Maroof made her debut for Pakistan against India in Jaipur at the age of 15, and she soon became a regular. It took her four years to record her first half-century, against the Netherlands in 2010, despite her initial score of 43. 2015 saw her record her highest score of 99 against South Africa. She reached her first fifty in T20Is in just her second match against Sri Lanka in 2009, thus it didn’t take her long to achieve that feat.
In June 2016, Maroof was appointed as the Pakistan T20I captain, then in September 2017, he was given the ODI position. After taking an indefinite maternity leave in December 2020, she returned for the T20 World Cup in January 2022. After Pakistan’s Women’s T20 World Cup group stage exit last year, she resigned as captain. The most recent ODI series she participated in was against the West Indies, where she hit 65 in the second match. The three-match series was lost by Pakistan, 3-0.
Maroof competed on the women’s squad that took home the gold medal in the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games. She also competed for Pakistan in four Women’s ODI World Cups (2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022), captaining the squad in the New Zealand-hosted 2022 tournament. Maroof played in eight T20 World Cups (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023) and captained the team in the South African-hosted 2020 and Australian-hosted 2023 editions.
With 136 ODI appearances, Maroof leads all Pakistani players in that category. In T20Is, she is ranked second only to Nida Dar.