Ayesha Naseem stuns fans with her unexpected retirement

ISLAMABAD: Cricketer Ayesha Naseem has announced an unexpected retirement from cricket, citing “personal reasons”, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s head of women’s cricket Tania Mallick said on Tuesday.

The PCB has acknlowdged and extended support for Naseem’s decision and wished her good luck in her future endeavours.

According to the PCB, the management tried to persuade the 18-year-old to reconsider her retirement, but she remained firm in her decision.

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The right-handed batter rose to prominence for her extraordinary power-hitting skills, and her cameo of 24 runs off 20 balls against Australia in 2023 brought her national acclaim.

Ayesha Naseem represented Pakistan women’s team in four Women’s One Day Internationals (WODIs) and 30 Women’s T20 Internationals (WT20Is), amassing a total of 402 runs.

Meanwhile, Mallick spoke about the Pakistan squad for the Asian Games and stressed about the importance of camaraderie, sportsmanship and support.

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She said that the team was aiming to clinch the coveted title for the third time, but they will miss the services of Bismah Maroof, who would be unable to participate accompanying her infant daughter to the Asian Games’ village due to regulations.