The day after England beat Pakistan in a high-scoring One Day International thriller in Southampton, Pakistani cricket fans received word that Sana Mir, the women’s team star, has become the first woman spinner in the world to take 147 ODI wickets. She reached the landmark with the scalp of South Africa’s Sune Luus in the third ODI of the ICC Women’s Championship in Willomoore Park. The match ended in a thrilling tie. The record haul for Sana came in her 118th match. She has now gone past Anisa Muhammed of the West Indies and Lisa Sthalekar of Australia. She is third on the list of the most successful bowlers after fast bowlers Jhulan Goswami of India (218) and Cathryn Fitzpatrick of Australia (180). She is the first Pakistani bowler to have topped the ICC rankings (in October). Currently, she is third on the ICC bowlers’ rankings.
These are not minor accomplishments. Being a woman player is a challenge in Pakistan. Sana is an inspiration for Pakistani women cricketers as well as other sportswomen. Cricket has long been popular in Pakistan. Many youths dream of being a cricket star but at the professional level, women are not treated the same as men. It is no secret that lucrative contracts, facilities and media glamour are reserved for men’s team. Women cricketers have to struggle for their monthly retainers, match fees, and expenses. In 2018, they were not paid the retainers for more than six months. The Pakistan Cricket Board needs to remove such hiccups, and improve the payouts for women players to attract the best talent. Off the field, Pakistani sportswomen have to fight and defeat many social taboos.
An yet, Pakistani sportswomen have made tremendous strides. And not only in cricket, but also in swimming, skiing, cycling, badminton, squash, power lifting, track and field and soccer. Through their heroic struggle some of them who have become poster girls for the nation. They include Samina Baig (mountaineer), Naseem Hameed (athlete), Hajra Khan (soccer), Rubab Raza (swimmer), Twinkle Sohail (power lifter), Maria Toorpakay Wazir (squash), Palwasha Bashir (badminton), Ifrah and Amina (skiers), and Sadaf Saif (cyclist).
Sana Mir’s name is yet another addition to the list. Her success is a message to the women seeking inspiration in example. It is also the best answer to the nay-sayers. *