One of the fiercest hitters of the cricket ball in women’s cricket, Pakistan batter Ayesha Naseem announced shock retirement on July 20. The 18-year-old bid goodbye to the game as she wants to dedicate her life to Islam.
"I'm leaving cricket and want to live my life according to Islam," the Abbottabad-born batter informed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about her decision.
In the age of big-hitters, Ayesha had great potential to push the scoring rate in the middle overs. Against India, she scored an unbeaten 25-ball 43 at Cape Town in Women's T20 World Cup 2023. However, her knock ended up in losing cause as Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh helped India chase down a target of 150.
The teenager made her T20I debut in March 2020 against Thailand. Her last international appearance was against Ireland in February 2023. She has scored 369 runs from 27 innings at an average of 18.45 and an impressive strike rate of 128.12. She has played just four ODIs and has 33 runs to her name.
She also impressed with her big-hitting on Australian soil last year while other batters struggled against the World Champions.
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