Pakistan\u2019s Nida Dar announces a break from cricket to focus on mental health, citing personal and professional strain
\n Lahore
\nFormer Pakistan women\u2019s cricket team captain Nida Dar has announced a temporary break from all forms of cricket to focus on her mental health, following what she described as a period of personal and professional challenges.
\nThe 38-year-old all-rounder made the announcement on social media late Thursday, appealing for privacy as she steps away from the game.
\n\u201cA lot of things have happened in the past with me personally and professionally and this has affected my mental health,\u201d Dar wrote. \u201cFor this reason, I am taking a break for a while from cricket to focus on myself. Please respect the privacy. Thank you. #respect.\u201d
\nDar, one of Pakistan\u2019s most experienced players, has represented her country in 130 T20 Internationals and 99 One-Day Internationals.
\nKnown for her consistency and leadership, she had recently returned to training in preparation for the ICC Women\u2019s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Faisalabad.
\nHowever, she did not make the final 15-player squad after failing to meet fitness benchmarks.
\nIn addition to stepping away from international contention, Dar has also withdrawn from the upcoming National T20 Cup, choosing instead to take a complete break from competitive cricket.
\nHer decision comes as the Pakistan women\u2019s team celebrated a successful qualifying campaign for the ICC Women\u2019s Cricket World Cup, securing five straight wins and defeating Bangladesh by seven wickets in their final match on April 19 at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground.
\nWhile lauding the squad\u2019s performance, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that the national women\u2019s team will not travel to India for the tournament, in line with a previously agreed \u201chybrid model\u201d similar to that adopted for the ICC Men\u2019s Champions Trophy.
\n\u201cPakistan will not travel to India, as this formula has already been agreed upon,\u201d Naqvi stated during a visit to the LCCA Ground.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan\u2019s Nida Dar announces a break from cricket to focus on mental health, citing personal and professional strain Lahore Former Pakistan women\u2019s cricket team captain Nida Dar has announced a temporary break from all forms of cricket to focus on her mental health, following what she described as a period of personal and professional challenges. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":474805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-474779","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n