LAHORE – Pakistan women’s pacer Kainat Imtiaz hangs up her boots, bringing the curtain down on international cricket career that saw her represent Pakistan across two international formats, win Asian Games gold, feature at the World Cup, and later begin a new chapter in cricket officiating.
Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed retirement, marking the end of an international career in which Imtiaz played 19 ODIs and 21 T20Is for Pakistan.
Kainat made her international debut in 2010 and went on to establish herself as right-arm medium-fast bowler for Pakistan. Her international career produced 27 wickets, 10 in ODIs and eight in T20Is according to current statistical records, while she also contributed with the bat when called upon. But her cricketing journey was about far more than numbers.
She was part of Pakistan’s gold-medal-winning squads at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou and the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, making her a member of two teams that reached the top of the podium. She also represented Pakistan at the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup, before featuring in the squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, adding some of the biggest events in women’s cricket to her résumé.
Her last T20I was against Thailand in Sylhet on October 6, 2022, while her final ODI came against Australia at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on January 18, 2023.
While her playing career gradually moved into the background, Imtiaz’s association with cricket did not end. She has also been involved in cricket commentary and has recently begun moving into the officiating side of the game, opening another avenue for her to remain involved in women’s cricket. That transition is important given her family connection to officiating.
Her mother, Saleema Imtiaz, was Pakistan’s first woman to join the ICC International Panel of Umpires. Saleema has subsequently officiated in international women’s cricket, including Pakistan’s bilateral ODI series against South Africa in 2025.
The mother-daughter connection gives Kainat’s next chapter an added dimension: from playing international cricket to helping shape the game from beyond the boundary.
Kainat Imtiaz may not leave behind the colossal statistical record associated with some of Pakistan’s biggest cricketing names, but her career reflects the changing landscape of women’s cricket in Pakistan.
She played across a period in which women’s cricket moved onto increasingly bigger stages, from the Asian Games and World Cup to the Commonwealth Games, while continuing to find ways to remain part of the sport after her final international appearance.
Pakistani cricketer Kainat Imtiaz ties the knot, shares wedding pictures with fans
