Bismah Maroof: Retiring before the World Cup 'gives more time for rebuilding'

Available for over a year

Now is the time for a new era for the Pakistan women's team after their talismanic captain retired from international cricket. Over an international career spanning 17 years, Bismah Maroof played in 12 World Cups and captained Pakistan in 96 matches. She is leading run scorer for her country in both T20 and ODI internationals with 6,262 runs scored. But maybe her biggest achievement came off the field after giving birth in August 2021. This prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board to implement a maternity clause in central contracts for women cricketers that allocated paid maternity leave. She told Stumped's Alison Mitchell why it was the right time to retire and how proud she is of helping to change attitudes towards maternity policies in Pakistan cricket. Photo: Bismah Maroof of Pakistan and her daughter Fatima arrive during the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between England and Pakistan at Hagley Oval on March 24, 2022 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Credit: ICC via Getty Images)