LAHORE: Bismah Maroof has stepped down as Pakistan women’s national team captain but will remain available for selection as a player, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Wednesday.

Bismah was named as 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 in One-Day Internationals (1.000) and T20 Internationals (0.843). Under her leadership, the ODI team played 34 matches and won 16, while the T20I side won 27 of 62 matches.

Bismah 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 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. I am looking forward to continuing to play as a player and playing my role for the team.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023