Ayesha Naseem, a young cricket star from Pakistan, has unexpectedly decided to bid farewell to her career in international cricket at the age of 18. Ayesha’s greatest performance came during the T20 World Cup 2022 when she dazzled with a quickfire 24 runs off 20 balls against the powerful Australian team.
Ayesha has represented Pakistan in four One Day Internationals (ODIs) and thirty T20 Internationals (T20Is). According to different sources, Ayesha has chosen to leave the sport she once showed tremendous promise in despite being praised as a “serious talent” by cricket icon Wasim Akram.
Reports indicate that Ayesha’s decision to stop playing cricket was motivated by her desire to uphold Islamic ideals.
Naseem reportedly told PCB, “I’m leaving cricket and want to live my life according to Islam”. It is being reported that the youngster informed the Pakistan Cricket Board about her decision when she was contacted for a training camp and an assignment.
For Pakistan, Ayesha scored 33 runs in 4 ODIs. However, in the shortest format, she scored 369 runs for her country. In the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, she faced Thailand in her debut international game. Ayesha made her last Pakistani appearance against Australia in 2023.
In her final game for Pakistan, Naseem faced Australia and was dismissed for a three-ball-duck. Next month, South Africa women will play three T20I matches at Asian powerhouse Pakistan.