Nida Dar Steps Away from Cricket to Focus on Mental Health

Former captain of the Pakistan women’s cricket team and renowned all-rounder Nida Dar has announced a temporary break from cricket to prioritise her mental health.

In a statement, Dar shared that recent personal and professional challenges have taken a toll on her mental well-being.
“Over the past few months, several events in my personal and professional life have deeply affected my mental health. That’s why I’ve decided to step away from cricket for a while to focus on myself. I kindly request everyone to respect my privacy during this period,” she said.

Nida Dar was recently part of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier training camp in Faisalabad. Despite attending the camp and undergoing a fitness test, she was not included in the final squad due to fitness concerns. She has also opted out of the upcoming National T20 Cup, choosing to temporarily withdraw from all competitive cricket.

Nida holds the distinction of being Pakistan’s most capped T20I cricketer and is the first Pakistani – male or female – to claim 100 T20I wickets. She is also among the first four women from Pakistan to play 100 ODIs and holds the second-highest number of ODI wickets after Sana Mir.