Pakistan women cricket captain Bismah Maroof balancing batting with baby

Bismah Maroof was the first beneficiary of the new PCB policy which entitled her to 12 months of paid leave and a guaranteed contract extension.

Thirteen months ago, Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof was preparing to bid farewell to cricket and embrace motherhood. Come March, she will be spearheading Pakistan’s campaign at the World Cup in New Zealand, a comeback she hopes will inspire female cricketers in her homeland and beyond.

Family support and her love for the game were crucial but the 30-year-old says she owes her return to the parental support policy introduced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last year. “I didn’t have any clarity about my future at that time. It seemed all’s over,” Maroof told news agency Reuters from Karachi.

“Then I spoke to the PCB management and (coach) David Hemp. They told me ‘You can come back. Players in Australia, New Zealand and England do come back’ (from motherhood).”