Javeria Khan announces retirement from international cricket

PESHAWAR, Mar 21 (APP): Javeria Khan has announced her retirement from international cricket 15 years after making her ODI debut in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka in a Women’s Asia Cup fixture against Sri Lanka on 6 May 2008. The right-handed batter made her T20I debut against Ireland in Dublin in 2009.

Javeria went on to represent the Pakistan women’s team in 228 international matches and scored 4,903 runs, which included two centuries and 25 half-centuries. She also bagged 28 international wickets. Javeria is currently listed as the second leading run scorer in ODIs and T20Is for the Pakistan women’s team and is the only women’s cricketer from Pakistan to have scored over 2,000 runs in each format besides Bismah Maroof. She represented Pakistan in four 50-over World Cups (2009, 2013, 2017 and 2022) and in all eight T20 World Cups (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2023) held since its inception.

Javeria was also part of the Pakistan women’s team squad that won the Gold medal in the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games held in China and South Korea, respectively. Javeria also captained Pakistan women’s team in 17 ODIs and 16 T20Is. Among the 16 T20Is, she captained the side in two editions (2018 and 2020) of ICC Women’s T20 World Cups. The 35-year-old Karachi-born player also participated in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Level 2 Cricket Coach course held in August last year in Lahore. Javeria Khan said: “I want to call it a day and announce my retirement, however, I will be available for league cricket.

I am grateful for the unwavering support I received throughout my career. I want to thank my family, teammates, for the Pakistan Cricket Board, my department Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL) for their support and guidance at each step, and my fans whose appreciation was instrumental in bringing out the best in me. “I have been blessed to hold Pakistan’s flag globally,” she added. Head of Women’s Cricket, Tania Mallick said: “On behalf of the PCB and all cricket fans, I extend heartfelt gratitude to Javeria Khan for her invaluable contributions to women’s cricket in Pakistan. Her glittering records with the bat speak for themselves and I am confident that her illustrious career will inspire many girls in the country to not just take up this sport but also excel at it across many years, she added. “As Javeria announces her retirement, we reflect on her remarkable career and the services she has rendered for Pakistan cricket. We thank her for her untiring commitment and wish her all the success in her future endeavors”, Tania maintained.