Sat fourth in the all-time ODI bowling rankings and Pakistan’s leading wicket taker in all formats, Sana Mir has finally called time on an impeccable international career.
Mir represented Pakistan in 226 international matches, since her debut in 2005, captaining the side in 137 of them. An asset with both bat and ball, Mir is renowned for her right-arm off spin, but has also scored almost 2,500 runs across T20’s and ODI’s combined.
In October 2018 she became the first Pakistani woman to rank number one in the ICC bowling rankings, and remains in the top 10 to this day- sitting ninth. Her achievements don’t stop there either. In Both 2010 and 2014, Mir led Pakistan to Gold Medals at the Asian Games.
Despite her unrivalled success in a Pakistan shirt, Mir had been absent from competition since October 2019. She took an indefinite break from the sport as she considered her future and was not named in Pakistan’s World T20 squad earlier this year, as the team crashed out before the semi-finals. With the next major tournament not until next year, the time has now come for Mir to let a new generation take centre stage, as her 15 year career is now officially over.
In a statement published by the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mir announced that the "Last few months have provided me with an opportunity to contemplate. I feel it is the right time for me to move on. I believe I have contributed to the best of my ability for my country and the sport.”
Mir also thanked her fans for the “love, support and encouragement” she has received over the years and said it was an honour to serve her country.
Perhaps the only achievement that escaped Mir during her career was the taste of major silverware. Pakistan have struggled at both ODI and T20 World Cups despite Mir performing her own heroics on more than one occasion. Now though, Pakistan must look towards the future, and hope that the next Sana Mir is not too far around the corner.