Sana Mir first Pakistani woman to be inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

LAHORE: Sana Mir, Pakistan’s trailblazing all-rounder and former women’s team captain, has etched her name into history once again by becoming the first Pakistani woman bring inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. The announcement was made ahead of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, placing her among cricket’s most iconic figures.

Mir’s storied career spanned from 2005 to 2020, during which she appeared in 120 ODIs and 106 T20Is, captaining the side in 72 ODIs and 65 T20Is. Under her leadership, Pakistan clinched gold medals at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, transforming the visibility and stature of women’s cricket in the country.

A potent off-spinner, Mir remains Pakistan’s leading ODI wicket-taker with 151 scalps. In 2018, she topped the ICC ODI bowling rankings, a first for a Pakistani woman cricketer. Reacting to the honor, Mir said, “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…this is a moment I couldn’t have dared to imagine.”

Her induction places her alongside Pakistani legends like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Javed Miandad, and reinforces the evolving narrative of women’s excellence in cricket. She was also part of a high-profile panel on women’s cricket at the World Cricket Connects 2025 forum at Lord’s, where she joined Ellyse Perry and Mel Jones to discuss the game’s future and structural challenges.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi congratulated Mir, calling her “an asset to Pakistan cricket” and a “role model for women cricketers.” He stated, “Sana Mir dreamt, worked hard, and made history,” expressing hope that “InshaAllah, that day is not far when numerous Pakistani women cricketers will achieve this honor.”