Pakistan Women’s Bismah Maroof becomes a mother to a baby girl

Pakistan Women’s cricketer Bismah Maroof has embraced motherhood and has given birth to a baby girl on Monday, August 30. The 30-year-old Maroof hasn’t played any form of cricket since the 2020 edition of the T20 World Cup in Australia where she took part in two games before being ruled out due to a fracture in her right thumb.

Earlier this year, she pulled out of Pakistan’s series against South Africa and also didn’t tour the West Indies for the ODI and T20I series. In the meantime, after becoming a mother, the Lahore, Punjab-born Maroof expressed her happiness on Twitter.

The veteran all-round cricketer took to the microblogging site and wrote, “Allah SWT has blessed me with a daughter Alhamdulillah.”

Bismah Maroof’s tweet

England skipper Heather Knight also congratulated her on the happy development. She wrote, “Congratulations Bismah!” Knight is set to play in the T20I and ODI series against New Zealand Women from Wednesday, September 1.

South Africa batter Mignon du Preez also congratulated her. She wrote, “Congratulations!!!” Du Preez will play in the T20I series against West Indies from Tuesday, August 31.

Back in April, Maroof made the announcement of taking an indefinite break from cricket as she was preparing to become a mother.

She wrote, “I am delighted to announce that I am entering a new chapter in my life as motherhood beckons. I would like to wish the Pakistan women’s team the very best as I take an indefinite break from cricket. Request for prayers and support.”

Maroof remains one of the greatest players to have graced the game in Pakistan Women’s cricket. She made her debut way back in 2006 in an ODI against India in Jaipur. In that game, she scored a 76-ball 43 with five fours and showed her class as a 15-year-old.

Three years later in 2009, she made her T20I debut against Ireland at the Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin. She hasn’t looked back and has kept scaling greater heights in her career.

In 108 ODIs, Maroof has notched 2602 runs with 14 half-centuries and picked up 44 wickets. In as many T20I games, she has racked up 2225 runs with 11 fifties and accounted for 36 wickets.