Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir announces retirement
Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir has announced retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. The 34-year-old issued a detailed statement of her announcement through Pakistan Cricket Board's official website. In the statement, she thanked her mentors for allowing her to chase her dream of playing at the big stage. She also hailed ICC for propelling women's cricket to new heights. Here is more.
Sana has contributed with both bat and ball
A veteran of 226 internationals, Sana Mir is the highest capped woman cricketer of Pakistan. In 120 ODIs, the right-arm spinner has scalped 151 wickets at an average of 24.27. She has also snapped up 89 T20I wickets at 23.42. Furthermore, she has 2,420 international runs to her name. The tally also includes three fifties with a best score of 52.
It is time to move on: Sana Mir
"I would like to extend my gratitude to ICC for its continuous support to women's cricket. It has been an honour to serve Pakistan in cricket and to wear the green jersey with absolute pride. It is time for me to move on." said Sana.
Sana Mir's records in international cricket
In February 2019, Sana became the first woman cricketer from Asia to feature in hundred T20 Internationals. She is the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in ODIs and second highest in T20Is. Overall, she stands fifth among the women with most wickets in ODIs. Sana has also claimed as many as 7 four-wicket hauls and one five-for in ODIs.
Sana scaled new heights as a spinner
Sana is the joint-most successful spinner in ODI history along with West Indies' Anisa Mohammed. The duo is tied on the top spot, having taken 151 wickets in the format. Meanwhile, the top three spots are occupied by fast bowlers Jhulan Goswami (225) Cathryn Fitzpatrick (180) and Ellyse Perry (152). In 2018, Sana became the first Pakistani bowler to lead the ICC Rankings.
Sana took a break from cricket in November 2019
Last year, Sana Mir took a break from international cricket and missed a number of limited-overs matches. As a result, she was dropped from Pakistan's 15-member T20 World Cup squad. Chief selector Urooj Mumtaz reiterated that her recent T20I performances were not satisfactory. She played her last international against Bangladesh in November. Under Sana, Pakistan won 52 out of 137 internationals, having lost 81.
