Kainat Imtiaz Ends International Cricket Career to Become Match Referee
Pakistani right-arm fast bowler Kainat Imtiaz declared her retirement from international cricket after 13 years in order to begin a new career as a match referee. By officiating the PCB National Women’s Under-19 T20 competition, which was held in Karachi in August and September, she has already assumed that task.
When Kainat Imtiaz participated in a Twenty20 International match against South Africa at Potchefstroom in October 2010, her international career officially began. She was one of the younger pace possibilities available to Pakistan’s women’s team at the time.
She made her 50-over format debut the following year when she played against Ireland at Fatullah. Over the course of a ten-year career, she represented Pakistan in 19 ODIs and 21 T20Is, taking 10 ODI wickets at an average of 51.40 and eight T20 international wickets at an average of 5.82 runs per over.
She played her last ODI against Australia at the Gabba in January 2023. When Pakistan played Thailand at the 2022 Asia Cup in Sylhet, she made her final appearance in the shortest format.
What achievements did Kainat Imtiaz make while working overseas?
Kainat Imtiaz won some of the most prominent honours in women’s cricket during her playing career. She competed for Pakistani teams that won gold in the Asian Games in South Korea in 2014 and China in 2010. She represented the country in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup, and her record spans multiple formats and major multi-sport competitions.
After making her final international appearance, Kainat Imtiaz went into broadcasting, providing commentary and presentations at both domestic and international cricket games. That phase of her post-playing career has since been supplanted by her focus on match officiating, which she began at the domestic level.
Why does Pakistani women’s cricket benefit from Kainat Imtiaz’s decision to become an official?
Kainat Imtiaz is the second former Pakistani female cricket player to officiate a match in a brief amount of time. Prior to her, Aiman Anwar announced his retirement from international cricket in August, underscoring the growing trend of seasoned players choosing to pursue professions in administration and officiating after retirement.
The decision is particularly significant because of her family history. Her mother, Saleema Imtiaz, is the first female umpire from Pakistan to be selected to the ICC’s international development panel.
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Saleema’s record of standing in nine women’s ODIs and sixty-nine women’s T20Is is unmatched by many Pakistani officials. Thanks to Kainat’s introduction into officiating, the family is now involved in both the playing and administrative facets of Pakistani women’s sports, which is highly unusual at this level.
