Sana Mir

International career

Sana Mir, born on January 5, 1986, is a former cricketer and cricket commentator from Pakistan. She was the captain of the Pakistan women's national cricket team in ODIs and T20Is. Known for her skills and leadership, she is one of the best spinners in women’s cricket.

Sana grew up in Abbottabad in a family with limited financial resources. Despite the many challenges, including living in a society where women faced difficulties in sports, she had strong support from her parents. This support helped her rise through the ranks and become a key player for Pakistan. Sana is known for her mix of attacking and defensive bowling tactics, especially in T20 cricket, where she often takes the new ball.

In May 2022, after retiring from international cricket, Sana temporarily returned to play as the captain of South Coast Sapphires in the 2022 FairBreak Invitational T20. She has been an important figure in Pakistan's cricket history, both for her leadership and her strong performances on the field.

Sana Mir was part of two key moments in Pakistan’s cricket history: leading the team to the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 at Lord’s and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which had 87,000 spectators. These events are seen as two of the biggest achievements in women’s cricket in Pakistan.

Sana’s career has not only helped improve the recognition of women cricketers in Pakistan, but it has also boosted the country’s image worldwide. She played for Pakistan cricket for fifteen years, keeping the team united and focused despite challenges. She remains a role model for young female cricketers in Pakistan.

2005

• WODI debut: Pakistan Women vs Sri Lanka Women at Karachi on December 28.

2009

• WT20I debut: Pakistan Women vs Ireland Women at Dublin on May 25.
• Captaincy: Sana Mir became captain for the 2009 Women's World Twenty20 and kept the captaincy for the 2010 ICC Women's Cricket Challenge in South Africa.

2010

• Asian Games: Led Pakistan to win a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games.
• ODI performance: Took 5/32 and 4/13 in a match against the Netherlands.
• Match performance: Helped Pakistan win against India by scoring 26 runs and taking one wicket. She was named Player of the Match.

2011

• National Championship: Led Pakistan to win their fourth National Championship title.
• Tournament victory: Led Pakistan to win in both T20 and ODI formats in Sri Lanka. The teams included Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
• Player of the Match: Won Player of the Match in the T20 quadrangular-cup final against the Netherlands.

2012

• World Cup Qualifiers: Under her captaincy, Pakistan's team qualified for the 2012 T20 and 2013 ODI World Cups. Pakistan also defeated South Africa, improving their ranking from 8th to 6th.
• Domestic success: Led ZTBL to win the first BB tournament and the 7th National Championship.
• Awards: Became the first female cricketer from Pakistan to be awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for her contributions to cricket.

2013

• Domestic success: Led ZTBL to their second BB tournament win and 8th National Championship, marking six consecutive wins.
• Player of the Year: Named PCB Woman Cricketer of the Year.
• International success: Led Pakistan’s women’s team to beat England during their European tour. The team won 11 matches in a row. After the tour, six players from Pakistan's team ranked in the ICC top 20.

2014

• Asian Games: Played in Pakistan's gold-medal winning team at the 2014 Asian Games.
• Outstanding performance: Took 21 wickets in 11 ODI matches at an average of 12.57, her most successful year.

2017

• Milestone: Became the first Pakistani woman cricketer to take 100 wickets in WODIs during the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
• Captaincy change: Stepped down from the captaincy, and Bismah Maroof became the new captain of the Pakistan women’s ODI team.

2018

• ICC Women's World Twenty20: Named in Pakistan's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.
• Ranked number 1: Became the first Pakistani women cricketer to rank number 1 in ICC ODI bowler rankings in October.

2019

• Last WODI and WT20I: Played her final ODI against Bangladesh on November 4 and her last T20I against Bangladesh on October 28.
• Retirement: Announced a break from international cricket in November 2019. On April 25, 2020, confirmed her retirement.

2020

• Retirement: Officially retired from international cricket.

2024

• Ambassadorship: Appointed as the ambassador for the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.

Career Stats

• Played in 226 international matches, with 137 as captain.
• The first bowler from Pakistan to take 100 wickets in WODIs.
• Led Pakistan to win two consecutive women’s cricket gold medals at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014.
• Was named Player of the Tournament at the 2008 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Leagues Participation

Sana Mir did not participate in any leagues.

Domestic career

Sana Mir played domestic cricket for Karachi and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL). She was part of ZTBL from 2009/10 to 2018/19. Before her international career, she played with South Zone Women Karachi, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, and Pakistan Cricket Board Women Greens.

Sana started playing cricket at a young age, starting street cricket when she was five. Growing up in Pakistan, where cricket is very popular, she admired some of the best cricketers in the world. However, there were no girls’ teams for her to join. She played with boys’ teams instead, despite others questioning her for doing so.

Despite the challenges, Sana stayed focused on her goal. She became an inspiration for many, showing that women can succeed in sports. She has worked hard to change how people see women in cricket and sports in general.

Records and achievements

Sana Mir has achieved many milestones in her cricket career. She has been a key figure in women’s cricket, breaking barriers and setting records. Here are some of her major achievements:

• October 2018: Became the first Pakistani woman cricketer to rank number 1 in the ICC ODI bowler rankings.
• 2010 and 2014: Led Pakistan to win women’s cricket gold medals at the Asian Games.
• 2013: First woman cricketer to win the PCB Woman Cricketer of the Year Award.
• 2013: Became the first female cricketer from Pakistan to receive the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest civilian award, for her contributions to cricket.
• 2024: Appointed as the ambassador for the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Personal life

Sana Mir is a well-known name in women’s cricket. She is active on social media and uses her platform to speak about important issues. Here is a look at her personal life:

Family

Sana Mir was born in Abbottabad into a military family. Her father, Mir Moatazid, was a colonel in the Pakistan Army. Because of her father’s work, she lived in different military areas across Pakistan. Sana studied in Rawalpindi and Gujranwala Cantonment. She finished her high school in Taxila Cantonment and later moved to Karachi for her bachelor’s degree. Sana started an engineering degree at NUST but left it to focus on cricket.

Finance

Sana Mir’s net worth for 2025 is estimated to be between $100,000 and $1 million.

Scandals

Sana Mir faced some controversies during her career:

• Pakistan Super League Scandal (2017): There was a match-fixing scandal in the Pakistan Super League. Sana Mir said that people involved in this should not represent the country.
• Wealth Article: A report claimed Sana was the richest female cricketer in Pakistan. She denied this and asked journalists to report responsibly.
• Social Media Post: Sana Mir criticized companies that used sports stars in ads to promote beauty. She felt that beauty should not be linked to success in sports.
• Fans

Sana Mir has a large following on social media, with over 138k followers on Instagram. She uses this platform to talk about issues like making cricket available for schoolgirls and fighting body-shaming in the media.