Sana Mir

The most successful spinner in Women's cricket, Sana Mir has been a powerhouse for Pakistan over the years. Born into a not-so-affluent family in Abbottabad, Sana had many obstacles in her path en route to glory. Apart from the financial hurdles, the largely patriarchal society in the country had made it tough for women to progress in sports during the 1990s. However, with unconditional backing from her parents, Sana rose through the ranks quickly and even captained Pakistan for a considerable period of time with distinction. Like a lot of spinners these days, Sana likes to take the new ball, particularly in T20 cricket while at other times, she comes in as the first change bowler. She has a good mix of attacking and defensive tactics, and above all, a strong temperament that helps her succeed. Sana's batting is quite under-rated, as she is more than useful down the order and has tallied 2000-plus international runs.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan