Honour for Sana Mir

As Asia Society recognises the Pakistan cricketer as an inspiring agent of change working to building a better world

Sana Mir has turned out to be a genuine role model for women — not just from Pakistan. The Asia Society has recognised the Pakistan cricketer as an inspiring agent of change working to building a better world — for women and for everyone. The nonpartisan organization, which works to address a range of challenges facing Asia and the rest of the world, has named Mir among Asia Game Changers — a group of inspiring and path-breaking women who are making a transformative impact in Asia and beyond. That Mir has been bracketed with global leaders from varied backgrounds is indeed a significant honour and an international recognition.

Mir will be honoured in New York on October 24, alongside other inspiring global leaders like Japan’s Yuriko Koike, the country’s first female defence minister and first female governor of Tokyo; China’s Jane Jie Sun, the dynamic leader of Ctrip, a travel company worth $25 billion where more than half of the employees are women; and Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi of the UAE, a pioneer in the world of art who has tirelessly promoted greater cultural understanding and exchange in the Middle East and around the world; and others.

A former Pakistan skipper, Mir is the highest wicket-taking off-spinner among international women cricketers. Currently placed at fifth in the ICC Women’s ODI bowling rankings, she is the only Pakistani woman to have occupied the number one spot. Mir led Pakistan to gold medal wins at the Asia Games in 2010 and 2014. She is no stranger to awards either, having been decorated with the Pakistani medal of excellence known as Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, besides winning the People’s Choice Award at the Pakistan Sports Awards. She was recently inducted into the ICC Women’s Committee as one of three representatives of female players. In a country where there is a dispiriting absence of sporting infrastructure and where women’s participation in sports is stigmatised, Mir’s achievement deserves a lot of praise.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2019.

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