Nida Dar, widely regarded as one of Pakistan’s greatest women’s cricketers, has announced she’s taking an extended break from the game to focus on her mental health. In a statement shared on X, Dar cited personal reasons for her decision but didn’t mention how long she plans to stay away from cricket. She last featured in a match back in October of last year.

"I would like to inform that a lot of things have happened in the past with me personally and professionally and this has affected my mental health," Dar said. "For this reason I am taking a break for a while from cricket to focus on myself."

Nida Dar’s form has been under the spotlight over the past couple of years, especially with the bat. Once known as one of Pakistan’s most reliable power-hitters, her ability to take on bowlers has noticeably declined, along with her consistency. In her last 24 T20I innings, she hasn’t managed a single score over 30, averaging under 17 with a strike rate that has dipped below 100. Her bowling has also seen a downturn, with both her average and economy rate rising across formats since 2023.

Nida Dar holds the record as Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is with 144 scalps, placing her second on the global list, just behind Megan Schutt’s 151. In ODIs, she’s Pakistan’s second-highest wicket-taker with 108 wickets, trailing only Sana Mir. With the bat, she’s also among the top performers—her 2091 T20I runs are second only to Bismah Maroof, and she sits fourth on Pakistan’s all-time ODI runs list with 1690 runs.