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Bismah Maroof announced that she will be stepping down as the Pakistan women's cricket team captain after nearly six years in charge of leading the side. Maroof was a part of Pakistan's squad for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa, which was also her last assignment as the team captain. She will, however, remain available for selection as a player, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement on Wednesday.
The team failed to qualify for the semifinals, losing three of the four group games including a thriller against arch-rivals India.
The 31-year-old star batter played a pivotal role during Pakistan's T20 World Cup match against India, scoring an unbeaten 68 to rescue her team from 43/3 in the eighth over to reach a competitive total of 149 runs. However, India managed to overhaul this target with six balls to spare and win the match by seven wickets.
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Opening up in her official statement, Maroof said, "It has been an honour for me to captain my country and I feel fortunate to have led an incredible and hardworking bunch of cricketers. It has been one exciting ride, which has been full of highs and lows, but, at the end of the day, I will always be thankful to Almighty for providing me with this opportunity.
"With the new ICC Women's Championship cycle in its initial stages and the 2024 T20 World Cup more than a year away, I think this is the right time for me to step down and help so we have a smooth transition," said Bismah.
"I am looking forward to continuing to play as a player and playing my role for the team." PCB management committee chairman, Najam Sethi said, "Bismah has been an inspiration for millions of girls and has been a catalyst for a positive change. With her immense dedication and hard work, she has shown that women can continue to follow their passions and dreams.
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"I am sure her presence in the Pakistan dressing room will continue to be a source of inspiration to our young cricketers and she will continue to serve Pakistan with honour and pride as she has been doing since she was a teenager."
The veteran batter has played 124 WODIs and 132 WT20Is so far, of which she led the team in 34 ODIs (16 wins) and 62 T20Is (27 wins). She was made Pakistan's all-format captain in September 2017 and has had the best win-loss ratio amongst all the regular players to lead the country.
