I need some time away from the game, says Sana Mir

announced her retirement from all formats of the game just after T20 World Cup in Australia.

“I think I have done a lot of groundwork for women’s cricket for the last 15 years and it has taken a toll on me, personally and professionally,” Mir was quoted as saying by Sportstar. “Before I can go back and start serving, I think I need some time away from the game. I have always shared my knowledge with others while I was playing and will continue doing that if God gives me the opportunity.”

“But for me, what’s most important is the quality of service you offer. For that, it is also necessary to be away from the game for some time. So, this is that kind of a time for me and once I have taken time for myself, I will definitely come back and support in whatever way - be it in Pakistan or anywhere else. Cricket is a gift that God has given me and I will share it with whoever needs it. I have always shared my knowledge with the cricketers from Ireland, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. But now, I will be away from the game for a while,” added the legendary figure.

Post pandemic, cricket won’t be the same and Mir feels that all the cricketing boards should give equal importance to women’s cricket to continue the rise in momentum which has been there for the past few years. “I was reading a good article from Australia where the author was using the parable of a garden and how the stronger plants go through the storms and still survive. The new or weaker plants get more affected by the storm,” Mir explained.

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“In no way (is) women’s cricket weak anymore but definitely, it’s much younger than men’s cricket in that sense, not in terms of history, but in terms of how the growth has happened. I just hope that all boards pay as much attention to women’s cricket. I know men’s cricket brings more revenue for most of the boards, but it’s going to be very important now.”

“What’s really important is that we need a global take on women’s cricket because if only a few boards take interest in women’s cricket and others don’t, the product will go down. We don’t want that. We want good, competitive matches at a higher level, so all boards must put their weight behind women’s cricket once the pandemic is over,” she added.

Speaking on how Pakistan women’s cricket has changed in the past decade, Mir said, “Every time has its challenges. When we started, we had to fight for our basic rights as female cricketers in Pakistan. For us, it was basically to make everyone understand the seriousness of women’s cricket.”

“Not many people believed in the talents and that was a very different challenge to face and we had to go through that. The Khan sisters (Shaiza and Sharmeen - pioneers of women’s cricket in Pakistan) had to face it and then we came under the PCB in 2005. It took us at least another six years until we won the Asian gold medal, we were not taken that seriously. After that, the contracts came and gradually things started moving.”

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“Now, when I see it, I find there is a different kind of challenge because now teams are improving rapidly. Even though we are investing in women’s cricket much more than we were in 2005, still to pace with international teams, our cricket is facing a lot of difficulties. The contract, the match fees - all that has come in and has helped cricketers be more professional, but of course, the competition has gone up, the demands on cricketers on what’s expected of them, the scrutiny of media - all that things are also challenges that cricketers need to go through,” stated Mir, who is regarded as ‘true stalwart of Pakistan cricket’ and ‘a catalyst for the women’s game’.

Mir, who has played 120 ODIs and 106 T20Is for Pakistan and is considered one of the most successful captains, however, plans to work on social front helping those affected my COVID-19. “It looks like we will be affected by the COVID-19 and lockdown for another few months. A lot of people will be affected more than us, so we need to do something more dominant on the social front (sic). That’s how I have planned things,” she said.

“I am not a very long-term planner. I have always taken things as they come and have always gone with the flow. I will continue to keep it that way. So, for now, I will continue working for the social cause at such times.”