On Thursday, March 21, Javeria Khan, the former captain of Pakistan, said on social media that she was quitting cricket. After making her debut for Pakistan in 2008, Javeria played 116 ODIs and 12 T20Is before retiring from international cricket. During her nearly 16-year career, she became the country’s second-highest run scorer in the 50-over format (2285).
The 35-year-old stated in her retirement message, “There was joy and sorrow, but above all a sense of great pride that kept me going for 15 years.” “The honor of donning the Pakistani shirt outweighed all the odds I faced during my cricket career. I consider myself fortunate to have spent my life doing what I liked most and will always do.
Looking back, it brings me immense happiness to know that the path my friends and I chose to take was not well-traveled when I began playing professionally, but it is now accessible to a large number of ladies in Pakistan.
Javeria wrote, “Scripts change, things change, and new paths beckon.” “Everything has its own time, and I think this is the ideal moment to declare my retirement and call it a day. But I’ll be available to play cricket in leagues. I shall always be appreciative to Pakistan for allowing me to fly the Pakistani flag around the world.”
Tania Mallick, the PCB’s head of women’s cricket, released a statement saying, “On behalf of the PCB and all cricket fans, I extend heartfelt gratitude to Javeria Khan for her invaluable contributions to women’s cricket in Pakistan.” “Her glittering records with the bat speak for themselves and I am confident that her illustrious career will inspire many girls in the country to not just take up this sport but also excel at it across many years.”
Javeria had the first-ever domestic contracts issued by the PCB in 2023, but due to unsatisfactory performance the previous year, she was unable to secure a central contract. The former skipper played in just one game during the 2022 One-Day World Cup in New Zealand, following her 2008 ODI debut. In the shortest format, she had also fallen out of favor before returning for the 2023 World Cup, which turned out to be her final international assignment while wearing the Pakistani national team colors.
After Sana Mir resigned as captain, Javeria led Pakistan in 16 Twenty20 Internationals and 17 One-Day Internationals. He also served as Bismah Maroof’s deputy.
