Sana Mir has carved her name in cricket history. She is now the first Pakistani woman to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. This landmark recognition by the International Cricket Council marks a turning point for women’s cricket in Pakistan.
The announcement came during a glittering ceremony at Abbey Road Studios in London, a place made famous by The Beatles. The iconic location sits close to Lord’s Cricket Ground, where the ICC World Test Championship final will soon begin.
Mir, 38, has become part of an elite cricket group that includes MS Dhoni of India, Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla from South Africa, Matthew Hayden of Australia, New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori, and England’s Sarah Taylor. All seven were added to the ICC Hall of Fame 2024 list, forming an exceptional lineup of cricket legends.
Sana Mir played international cricket for Pakistan from 2005 to 2020. She appeared in 226 matches across formats. Her impact was not just on the field. The ICC praised her for helping to elevate women’s cricket in Pakistan and around the world.
In her emotional statement, Mir said,
“As a little girl, I dreamed that Pakistan would have a women’s team. To now be part of this Hall of Fame among the same legends I admired growing up — it’s beyond imagination.”
Her cricket stats speak volumes. Mir took 151 wickets in ODIs, making her the top Pakistani wicket-taker in the format. In T20 Internationals, she claimed 89 wickets, second only to one. With the bat, she added over 2,400 runs in white-ball cricket. As captain, she led Pakistan to Asian Games gold medals in 2010 and 2014.
She was the first Pakistani woman to take 100 ODI wickets and reached the top of the ICC Women’s ODI bowling rankings in 2018. That same year, she became the first Asian woman to play 100 T20 Internationals.
The Hall of Fame citation also highlighted her work off the field. She spoke openly about mental health, promoted body positivity, and helped people during the COVID-19 crisis. Mir served on the ICC Women’s Committee and was recently chosen as the ambassador for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024.
Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, congratulated Mir for her achievement.
“You’ve lifted Pakistan’s flag on the global stage. The entire country is proud,” he said. He called the honour a result of her years of hard work and commitment, and said it represented a broader victory for women’s cricket in the country.
In its official tribute, the ICC described Mir as one of just nine women globally to take 100 ODI wickets and score 1,000 ODI runs. Her 15-year career included captaincy during five ICC T20 World Cups and two ODI World Cups.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said,
“This year we welcome seven outstanding individuals into the Hall of Fame. They are players whose careers shaped the game and inspired generations.”
Among them, MS Dhoni was praised for guiding India to all three ICC white-ball titles — the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Graeme Smith holds the world record for most Tests as captain (109 matches), while Hashim Amla is the only South African to score a Test triple century.
Matthew Hayden had a Test average above 50 and scored 30 centuries.
Daniel Vettori delivered more than 4,500 Test runs and over 300 wickets.
Sarah Taylor was recognised for redefining wicketkeeping in the women’s game and helping England win the 2017 World Cup.
Sana Mir’s entry into the ICC Hall of Fame is not just a personal honour. It’s a milestone for Pakistan’s women in sports, inspiring future generations to dream bigger.