Nida Dar Takes Temporary Break from Cricket

Former captain of the Pakistan women’s cricket team, Nida Dar, has declared she will be taking a temporary hiatus from cricket to prioritize her mental well-being.

The experienced all-rounder shared her decision via social media on Thursday, expressing that recent personal and professional challenges have impacted her mental state.

In her post, Dar stated, “I would like to inform that alot of things have happened in the past with me personally and professionally and this has affected my mental health. For this reason I am taking a break for a while from cricket to focus on myself. Please respect the privacy. Thank you. #respect.”

The 38-year-old athlete has been a key player for Pakistan, participating in 130 T20Is and 99 ODIs. She had recently joined the training camp held in Faisalabad for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, as one of the 19 players initially chosen.

However, while she did return to training, Dar was not named in the final 15-member squad, as she didn’t meet the necessary fitness benchmarks.

Consequently, she also decided to withdraw from the approaching National T20 Cup, opting to step away from the competitive cricket scene for now.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan women’s team has successfully secured their spot in the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup, which is planned to be hosted in India later this year.

They wrapped up their campaign at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Lahore with an impressive streak of five consecutive victories, which included a seven-wicket triumph against Bangladesh in their final match on April 19 at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi acknowledged the women’s team for their fruitful campaign during a visit to the LCCA Ground.

He restated the PCB’s decision that the national women’s team will not be traveling to India for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, consistent with the “hybrid model” that had been put in place before the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy earlier in the year.

During his visit, Naqvi affirmed that “Pakistan will not travel to India, as this formula has already been agreed upon.”