Pakistan cricketer follows mother's footsteps, retires to become match referee

Pakistan fast bowler Kainat Imtiaz has announced her retirement from international cricket after a 13-year career, but she will not be walking away from the game. Instead, the former Pakistan international is following in the footsteps of her mother, Saleema Imtiaz, as she begins a new chapter as a match referee.

Kainat, 34, represented Pakistan in 19 ODIs and 21 T20Is. She made her T20I debut against South Africa in Potchefstroom in October 2010 and played her first ODI against Ireland in Fatullah, Bangladesh, the following year. She finished her international career with 10 wickets in ODIs and eight in T20Is.

Her career included several significant milestones. Kainat was part of Pakistan’s gold medal-winning squads at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games in China and South Korea respectively. She also represented Pakistan at the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup, playing four matches, and was part of the squad at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Her final international appearances came in 2022 and 2023. She last played T20I cricket against Thailand in Sylhet in October 2022 before making her final ODI appearance against Australia at the Gabba in January 2023.

Kainat has already taken her first steps into her new career. She served as a match referee during the PCB National Women’s Under-19 Tournament in Karachi in August and September, with PCB scorecards confirming her appointments during the competition.

The move has a special family connection. Her mother, Saleema Imtiaz, made history in 2024 by becoming Pakistan’s first woman umpire on the ICC International Development Panel. Saleema began her umpiring journey with the PCB women’s panel in 2008 and has since officiated in nine women’s ODIs and 69 women’s T20Is.

Saleema broke further ground in 2026 by becoming the first Pakistani woman to officiate at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. She stood in international matches after being appointed to the tournament’s officials panel.

Kainat is also navigating her cricket career alongside motherhood. She and her husband, Mohammad Waqar Uddin, welcomed their daughter in June 2024. Kainat has spoken about the strong support she has received from her family, including her husband and mother, as she balances raising her daughter with her work in cricket.- Ends