A veteran in over 100 matches in both formats of white-ball cricket, Sana Mir becomes the first Pakistan woman cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame
Sana Mir has created more history in the game of cricket, becoming the first Pakistan woman to be inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame.
The highest wicket-taker in ODIs and the second-highest in T20Is among Pakistan women, Mir was also the first Pakistan woman cricketer to pick up 100 ODI wickets.
On top of on-field exploits, the off-spinner has also been a champion off the field, amplifying a strong stance on body shaming, prioritising mental health and helping people affected by the COVID pandemic.
Constantly advocating for women’s rights within Pakistan cricket, Mir has consistently created an impact in not just her home country but is also an ambassador in world cricket.
From proving a point in every street of Pakistan that she could play the sport to having a stand named after her in the Bugti Stadium, Quetta, Sana Mir’s success story is nothing short of inspirational.
A flurry of firsts
In a career spanning 15 years, where she captained for eight years, Mir picked up 150 wickets in 121 ODIs and 89 wickets in 106 T20Is, scoring 1630 and 820 runs respectively. Her best year was 2014 where she collected 21 wickets in 11 ODIs, while leading the team to an Asian Games gold medal, a feat she had achieved in 2010 as well, one year after being appointed as captain.
In 2018, Mir became the first Pakistani woman to reach the top of the ICC ODI Player Rankings. It wouldn’t be the only first for Mir, who was also the first Asian woman cricketer to play 100 T20Is, along with being the first Pakistan woman cricketer to play 100 ODIs.
She was also the first Pakistan woman cricketer to win the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Cricketer of the Year award and now is the first Pakistan woman to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
Pakistan’s Captain Cool
Mir took over the captaincy in 2009 when she was 23 and from then on, she was consistently amongst the top 20 ODI bowlers, achieving the coveted No.1 ranking in 2018.
She achieved this feat after picking up seven wickets in a three-match ODI series against the top-ranked Australian side, being the highest wicket-taker in the series.
Her best figures in ODI cricket – 5/32 against Netherlands in ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge – also came under her own captaincy where she led her team to a win. Her 5/14 in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2017 helped Pakistan qualify for the Super Sixes phase of the tournament beating Scotland by six wickets.
Mir’s T20I career best of 4/13 came against Ireland in the RSA T20 Cup, which Pakistan won, under Mir’s captaincy.
Apart from winning two Asian golds as a captain, Mir has also led Pakistan in five ICC Women’s T20 World Cups and two ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup tournaments.
Under her captaincy, a multitude of teammates saw a rise in their rankings, as she continued to inspire girls in Pakistan to take up the sport. She also ensured her team earned more prominence in world cricket while achieving individual success as well.
Pakistan tasted their first ODI victory against South Africa under Mir’s captaincy, with Mir winning 26 matches in both ODI and T20I formats as captain of Pakistan, in 72 ODIs and 65 T20I matches.
After stepping down as the captain, she continued to contribute to the team, the most notable performance being a four-wicket haul against South Africa. Her figures of 4-11 derailed the South Africa batting line up, bowling them out for 63, their second lowest total in ODIs. This also helped Pakistan register their biggest victory in ODIs, in terms of balls remaining.
Mir was not just a consistent bowler for Pakistan, but also quite handy with the bat, scoring 1630 ODI runs and three half-centuries, including a half century that she hit in her 100th ODI match, joining an esteemed list of women who have hit 1000 runs and taken 100 wickets in ODIs.
Breaking barriers for women’s cricket in Pakistan
Mir inspired women in Pakistan to take up the sport while voicing out during every given opportunity about women’s rights and the push of women’s cricket in Pakistan. In 2019, she was included in the ICC Women’s committee as one of the three player representatives and was named the ambassador of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in 2024.
She had once said, “If you’re a single woman and doing something unconventional, you don’t know that you’re doing the right thing.”
Mir knew she was doing the right thing and continued to live by her words, inspiring thousands of girls in not just her country but across the globe.
