Pakistan’s Kainat Imtiaz Retires and Moves Into Match Refereeing
Former Pakistan pacer Kainat Imtiaz has retired from international cricket and begun a career as a match referee, following her mother into officiating.
By SportCricket Desk · 4 Oct 2026 · 2 min read
Pakistan pace bowler Kainat Imtiaz has retired from international cricket and started a new career as a match referee.
She has already begun officiating, serving as referee at the PCB National Women’s Under-19 T20 tournament in Karachi in August and September.
Playing career
Imtiaz made her international debut in October 2010 in a T20I against South Africa in Potchefstroom, and her ODI debut came the next year against Ireland in Fatullah. She finished with 19 ODIs and 21 T20Is, taking 10 ODI wickets and eight in T20Is.
Her last ODI was against Australia at the Gabba in January 2023. Her final T20I came against Thailand at the 2022 Asia Cup in Sylhet.
She won Asian Games gold with Pakistan in 2010 and 2014, and also played at the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup and the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
From broadcasting to officiating
After playing, Imtiaz worked as a presenter and commentator at events in Pakistan and abroad. She has now turned her attention to match officiating.
She is the second former Pakistan women’s international in a short time to take up refereeing, after Aiman Anwar did the same following her retirement in August.
A family tradition
Officiating runs in the family. Her mother, Saleema Imtiaz, was the first Pakistani woman umpire to join the ICC International Development Panel, and has stood in nine women’s ODIs and 69 women’s T20Is.
