Days after making history as the first Pakistani woman to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, former national captain Sana Mir has opened up about what the moment means to her.
Taking to X on Monday, Mir shared a heartfelt note reflecting on her journey from a young girl who once dreamt of merely having a women’s cricket team in Pakistan, to now being counted among the greatest legends in the game.
“My first reaction when I got to know about this honour: Alhamdulillah,” she wrote. “Playing cricket for Pakistan was always the greatest reward in itself.”
Her induction, while deeply personal, marks a watershed moment for Pakistani sport. In a country where the sport has long been dominated by men and cricketing heroes have traditionally been men, Mir’s recognition lights the path forward for aspiring female cricketers — many of whom have had to push against social norms, institutional neglect and limited resources.
“From dreaming as a little girl that one day there would even be a women’s team in our country, to now standing here, inducted among the very legends I idolised long before I ever held a bat or a ball — this is a moment I once couldn’t have dared to imagine,” she wrote.
Mir thanked the ICC jury for deeming her worthy of the honour and vowed to carry the responsibility “with the same grit that brought me here.”
Her note quickly shifted from the personal to the collective. “Tonight is not just mine. This is for every girl who picks up a bat or a ball in a street where they’re told cricket isn’t ‘for them’. For every woman who defies expectations, whether on the pitch, in their homes, or in any space where dreams are told to wait, keep claiming your place in this world. Our journeys are never easy, but they are possible.”
Mir also paid tribute to her teammates, coaches and family “for turning my dream into a fight worth fighting” and closed with a powerful nod to the nation she represented with distinction: “And to Pakistan, thank you for letting me wear your colours. The best is yet to come, InshaAllah.”
In 2018, Mir took the top spot in women’s one-day international rankings and helmed the team that took home gold from the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games. Her rise dovetailed with the growth in sporting opportunities for Pakistani women, who were not allowed to play in open fields until the early 2000s.
In a post on Instagram, the ICC called Mir an ambassador for women’s cricket.
As of 2025, only 15 women have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, a stark contrast to the dozens of male cricketers celebrated in the same honour roll — a reflection of the historic gender gap in the sport.
The first woman to be inducted was former England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint in 2010, who led her team to victory at the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1973. Since then, legends like Belinda Clark, Enid Bakewell, Debbie Hockley, Betty Wilson, Karen Rolton, Claire Taylor, Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Lisa Sthalekar, Jan Brittin, Charlotte Edwards, Diana Edulji, and Neetu David have followed.
Mir joined this elite group alongside England’s Sarah Taylor.
Since her 2005 debut, Mir has played 226 international matches. She’s one of only nine women cricketers to have taken 100 wickets and scored 1,000 runs in ODI matches. She also led Pakistan to two World Cups and five T20 World Cups.
The ICC said that with over 200 international wickets against the white-ball, Mir was renowned for her work on and off the field. It added she was also well known for her strong stance on body shaming, prioritising mental health and helping people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mir’s inclusion in the ICC Hall of Fame is a symbolic rewriting of what is possible for Pakistani women in sports. As cricket continues to evolve, her legacy stands as proof that talent, resilience and leadership know no gender.
