All-rounder Nida Dar makes herself available for Pakistan selection following sabbatical

Nida Dar took to social media to announce her return to professional cricket, once again making her available for selection for Pakistan Women. This comes after the all-rounder took a year-long break from cricket after first making her international debut back in 2010. 

Dar took time away from the sport in early 2025 to focus on her mental well-being due to situations in her personal and professional life. ESPNcricinfo also reported that the then 38-year-old was not part of Pakistan’s immediate plans and would likely not have featured for the Women in Green regardless. 

Despite the setbacks, Dar is willing to return to international cricket and stated that she will strive hard to put her name back into the selection hat. She last played a professional game during the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup game against eventual champions New Zealand, with Maddy Green being her final international wicket. 

“After taking time to focus on myself and regain my strength, I am happy to share that I am back and available for Pakistan Cricket Team once again. Ready to give my best, work hard and contribute whenever the team needs me. Thank you to everyone who supported me during this journey,” Nida Dar said on X (formerly Twitter). 

Dar, now 39, remains one of the greatest players to represent the Pakistan Women‘s side across formats. She was the first cricketer from the country, male or female, to reach 100 wickets in T20I cricket. With 144 wickets to her name in the shortest format of the game, the right-arm spinner is her side’s leading wicket-taker, more than 50 scalps ahead of any active player. An all-rounder by true sense, the right-handed batter also scored 2,091 in T20I cricket, at a strike-rate of 101.35. 

Despite her outstanding record for Pakistan, it looks highly unlikely that Dar would make a comeback into the national setup. However, it is a credit to her perseverance and determination that she is willing to grind back into selection reckoning at the age of 39.