Kainat Imtiaz's Surprise Career Pivot After 13 Years

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-05

Kainat Imtiaz, the Pakistani pace bowler, has decided to retire from international cricket and become a match referee. After 13 years of playing, she's ready for a new challenge. She recently got a taste of officiating in the PCB National Women's Under-19 T20 tournament in Karachi. That experience convinced her to make the switch. ### From Fast Bowler to Match Official Imtiaz was a right-arm fast bowler who played 40 international matches for Pakistan. That includes 19 ODIs and 21 T20Is. She made her T20I debut in October 2010 against South Africa in Potchefstroom. A year later, she played her first ODI against Ireland in Fatullah. In ODIs, she took 10 wickets at an average of 51.40. In T20Is, she took 8 wickets with an economy rate of 5.82. Not spectacular numbers, but she was a reliable part of the team. Imtiaz was also part of Pakistan's gold-medal-winning teams at the Asian Games in 2010 (China) and 2014 (South Korea). She played in the 2017 World Cup and the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Her last ODI was against Australia at the Gabba in January 2023. Her final T20I came against Thailand in Sylhet during the 2022 Asia Cup. ### A Family Tradition of Officiating Her mother, Saleema Imtiaz, was the first Pakistani woman umpire to join the ICC's international development panel. She has officiated in 9 women's ODIs and 69 women's T20Is. Now, Kainat aims to follow in her footsteps. "I've always admired my mother's work as an umpire," Imtiaz said. "She showed me that there's a meaningful path in cricket beyond playing. I'm excited to start this new chapter." Imtiaz is not the only one making this move. Aiman Anwar, another former Pakistan women's cricketer, retired in August with the same goal. These retirements show a growing trend of former players moving into officiating roles. ### What's Next for Imtiaz? Imtiaz has already started working as a match referee in domestic matches. She began with the Under-19 T20 tournament in Karachi. She also has experience as a broadcaster, having presented and commentated on cricket tournaments in Pakistan and abroad. But now, she's focused on establishing herself as a match official. - She played 40 international matches for Pakistan. - She was part of two Asian Games gold-medal-winning teams. - Her mother is a pioneer in women's umpiring. - She is the second former Pakistan women's cricketer to become a match referee recently. With her playing career behind her, Imtiaz is ready to contribute to cricket in a new way. And given her family background, she's got a great role model to follow. It's a smart move for someone who clearly loves the game. For more sports news and updates, follow JeetWin Blog!