Former Pakistan cricket captain Bismah Maroof recalls the puzzled look that dampened the typically beaming face of her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Fatima as she bid a tearful farewell to her national teammates in Karachi on Thursday.
“She's never seen us like this,” Maroof, 32, told Al Jazeera hours after recalling her 17-year international career.
“Neither my teammates nor I could hold back; it was an emotional farewell as I left the Pakistan unit and went to my hometown, Lahore. Fatima naturally couldn't make sense of any of it.'
Maroof's decision to retire from international cricket came as a surprise, not least because of the timing – a day before Pakistan's home international T20 series opener in Karachi against the West Indies. She was part of a 16-member team for the task.
“It wasn't a sudden decision to be honest,” said Maroof, Pakistan's leading run-scorer in women's ODIs and T20Is. “I have been thinking about my international retirement for a long time and with the T20 World Cup just four months away, it felt only fair that I retired before the T20I series against the West Indies.
“I wasn't sure if I could last until the World Cup, so it was best to make way for players who deserve a proper promotion to the World Cup management.
“The time is right for my Pakistan teammates and family”
“At this stage in my life,” said Maroof, who has captained Pakistan in 96 matches – 62 in T20Is and 34 in ODIs, “I felt my family should come first, so I discussed the matter with them and took stock that as objectively as I do. could.
“Leaving a team that I have been a part of since I first joined it as a 15-year-old is never going to be easy. But the time is right, for the sake of my Pakistan team-mates and my family.”
Pakistan Zindabad! 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/6otSXiXnnI
— Bismah Maroof (@maroof_bismah) April 25, 2024
For someone who has been Maroof's regular companion on almost every tour since her inspirational return to professional cricket in March 2022 after giving birth, it was fitting that her daughter witnessed her final moments in the Pakistan dressing room as an international cricketer.
The graphic on social media carrying Maroof's departure announcement also unsurprisingly included a picture of him walking away holding his daughter's hand.
The symbolism associated with Fatima in Maroof's career is key to understanding the athlete's imprint on her sport, especially in the context of the subcontinent.
Ultimately, her legacy will be defined not only by her achievements as captain or her record 6,262 runs in 276 limited-overs internationals, but also by her decision to return to senior cricket in March 2022, as captain no less. six months after the birth of her first child Fatima.
“After I embraced motherhood, I never saw Bismah fail to balance her professional and non-professional roles,” Maroof's close friend and long-time Pakistan team-mate Javeria Khan, who retired from international cricket last month, told Al Jazeera.
“With mother Nighat by their side, they both created an example from Bismah – that a Pakistani woman can play top cricket after giving birth.
“He is a true icon and an inspiration to so many people. Pakistan cricket was truly blessed to have a player like Bismah.”
Silent Contributor ♥️
Aunty, words are not enough to describe your post.
You helped chase cricket in Bismah's dream after the arrival of Fatima. I don't think she could do without you. Mothers like you help their daughters climb huge mountains.
The… pic.twitter.com/LCks0Ahibv
— Javeria Khan (@ImJaveria) April 25, 2024
“Setting an example for women around the world”
Female cricketers sporting at the highest level after marriage, let alone childbirth, is a rarity in this part of the world. In this sense, Maroof was an outlier.
Her pregnancy prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to formalize a paid maternity leave policy for the first time, with Maroof becoming the first recipient.
When she came out of maternity leave to lead Pakistan in the 2022 ODI World Cup in New Zealand, leading voices in the sport, including her contemporaries, hailed her as a trailblazer. “… setting an example for women around the world,” India's star batsman Smriti Mandhana wrote on her Instagram story with a viral picture of Fatima in Maroof's arms, surrounded by India players, after the India vs Pakistan match in the world tournament.
“When I think back to my return after giving birth two years ago, I still can't help but ask, 'Arre, maine yeh kaise kar liya? (How did I do it?)'” Maroof said with a smile.
“It was not easy because Fatima had to be breastfed for almost two years. Balancing motherhood with my gaming commitments was a challenge – physically and emotionally. Without this policy or the support of my mother, father and husband, I would not have been able to play for so long.”
According to the PCB's policy, Pakistani cricketers under a central contract are entitled to up to 12 months of paid maternity leave and are guaranteed a contract extension for the following year, along with several other benefits either side of childbirth.
While no Pakistani cricketer subsequently took advantage of the policy, Maroof argued that the PCB's handling of her pregnancy could serve as a case study for other cricketing nations, particularly in South Asia.
“I remember when I took maternity leave I was overcome with guilt that I had not done enough for Pakistan cricket, but the maternity policy strengthened my desire and determination to come back,” Maroof said. “I thought, 'If the board was doing so much for me, I had to do my best to get back into the Pakistan side.'
“I have a lot of cricket left in me and I wanted to share my experience with other teammates, especially the younger ones.
Looking back, Maroof describes this decision as one of the most “formative” not only of her career, but also of her life. “In our South Asian culture, it is not common for women to enter motherhood, play professional sports and carry their child with them on sporting assignments. Because of its rarity, I knew there would be worldwide media coverage of my motherhood, so it was essential to try to compete as best as possible for my country and also highlight the role of everyone, including my teammates, who made this journey possible.”
Maroof, a stylish left-arm batsman who bowled part-time leg-spinner, witnessed women's cricket both in its infancy and in its current professional incarnation in Pakistan. After making her debut against India in 2006, she went on to represent her country in the ODI World Cup in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2022 and has appeared in all eight editions of the T20 World Cup so far – from 2009 to 2023.
She took over the T20I captaincy from the legendary Sana Mir in June 2016 and then the ODI reins in September 2017.
“When I started playing cricket, very few people knew that Pakistan had a women's cricket team. Even I had no idea about women's cricket,” said Maroof. “But things have changed over time. There is now more acceptance of girls playing cricket in Pakistani society. In fact, I have seen parents encouraging their daughters to take up cricket. Social media has also played a huge role in bringing women's cricket to places where it hasn't been represented.”
The pioneering story of Pakistan women's cricket
Sana Mir, who was replaced by Maroof, wrote on her X social media account in response to the retirement announcement: “I'm sorry to see you go ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Bangladesh at the end of the year. May your decision bring you peace of mind.
“You have been a great ambassador and a rock for Pakistan batting.
Under Maroof, Pakistan beat higher-ranked New Zealand for the first time in ODIs in 2017. The longest-serving Pakistani in the format, she counts this win among her career highlights along with two gold medals in the tournament. 2009 and 2010 Asian Games.
“The discipline that cricket has taught me through the ups and downs of my career and what Pakistan women's cricket faces is one of my biggest takeaways from my 17 years wearing the national jersey,” said Maroof.
“It formed my core and identity.
Aside from playing league cricket, Maroof said she hasn't given much thought to what her life might look like after her international retirement. A confident woman of few words, she believes she is not cut out for commentary, but vows to keep a close eye on how the women's game develops in Pakistan.
“The matches of my generation of female cricketers or those before us like Sana are no longer there,” she said. “But there is pressure of expectation on the younger lot. And to meet these expectations, our domestic structure needs to strengthen and align it with the standard of international cricket.
“I hope to see Pakistan among the top four international teams because there is no dearth of talent in our country.
A little support can be all it takes, as Maroof's pioneering story proves.
