The 90 players who have been selected to play in the first FairBreak Invitational in Dubai might each have reason to feel a slight sense of apprehension before their tournament debuts.
The captains might be concerned about remembering all the names of each of their new colleagues, and what exactly they all do.
Those playing in front of a global TV audience for the first time might be forgiven for feeling a little stage fright.
And for Sana Mir, she might be concerned about whether she can remember exactly what it is she is supposed to be doing, and whether to follow signs to the dressing room rather than the commentary box.
Mir ended a trailblazing career for Pakistan two years ago, and has carved out a career for herself in the media in the time since.
She will come out of retirement to lead South Coast Sapphires in the T20 tournament at Dubai International Stadium.
“It is great to be back, but at one point I thought I had forgotten how to bowl,” Mir, the former Pakistan captain and off-spinner, said.
The 36-year-old bowler will take her first steps back onto the playing field when the Sapphires face the Tornadoes in the first fixture of Day 2 of the competition in Sports City on Thursday.
She says she has been working on her fitness when commentary duties, such as at the World Cup in New Zealand in March and April, have permitted at the Shalimar Ground in Islamabad.
Players to watch
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Heather Knight (England) - The Barmy Army captain has scored centuries in all three formats of international cricket, and led England to the World Cup final last month. Getty Images -
Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) - The Jamaican remains the only cricketer ever to have been ranked No 1 at the same time in both bowling and batting in the ICC standings, which she managed in 2013. AFP -
Suzie Bates (New Zealand) - More than 8,000 runs in international cricket for New Zealand, including most recently a century against Pakistan in the World Cup. AFP -
Sophie Ecclestone (England) - The slow left-armer is the world’s No 1 ranked limited-overs bowler, and bowled England to the World Cup final last month. Getty Images -
Theertha Satish (UAE) - A schoolgirl who only started playing cricket less than three years ago, she has played 14 T20Is for UAE so far – and been on the winning side in every one. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sana Mir (Pakistan) - Two years into retirement, the former captain-turned-commentator will be returning to the playing field to lead South Coast Sapphires. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National -
Fatima Sana (Pakistan) - Named the ICC’s emerging cricketer of the year for 2021 after breakthrough performances for Pakistan as an allrounder. Getty Images -
Esha Oza (UAE) - The big-hitting 23-year-old made the highest score ever by a UAE cricketer – male or female – in a T20 international in Oman last month. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Mignon du Preez (South Africa) - The South African batter retired this month after representing her country more than 250 times in international cricket, and will take up a new role with FairBreak. Action Images -
Kavisha Kumari (UAE) - Became the first female player to score a century against a male team in UAE when she did so in the Gulf Cup in Ajman at the turn of the year. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) - Arrives in Dubai in prime touch having made five half-centuries in the space of six trips to the crease at the World Cup in New Zealand. AFP -
Sophie Devine (New Zealand) - A former international hockey player for New Zealand, Devine has racked up over 2,500 runs in T20 international cricket. Getty Images -
Chaya Mughal (UAE) - UAE’s captain takes time out from her job as a teacher to play. She will be alongside some of the stars of the game when she turns out for Spirit. Pawan Singh / The National -
Shabnim Ismail (South Africa) - The all-time leading wicket-taker for South Africa’s women’s side, she has also featured in Australia’s Big Bash and The Hundred in the UK. AFP -
Elyse Villani (Australia) - Many of Australia’s leading lights are unavailable for the FairBreak event, but the country’s female cricketer of the year for 2021 has made it to Dubai for the tournament. Getty Images -
Danni Wyatt (England) - The England opener, who will be playing for the Falcons in Dubai, has two centuries to her name in T20 internationals. Getty Images
“I’ve been practicing bowling on and off for the past four months but then I went to the World Cup,” said Mir, who played over 220 international matches for Pakistan.
“So most of the training happened in Ramadan back at home in a club in Islamabad. They were kind enough to extend the use of their facilities to me, so I moved to that city, where I didn’t know anybody.
“They were very generous and I practiced with my old coach from my departmental team and focused on practicing my skills.
“The way I see it, this tournament is more about getting performances out of players and chipping in wherever I can.
“Mostly for me, it is about using the resources as best as I can. Generally as a player I always believed in quality of practice rather than quantity.”
Mir said she is happy in her retirement, even if the initial break with the sport was tough.
She has taken up golf – although she reckons she is “not good at it” – and has joined a study group reading poetry.
“The first 10 months were really tough, to be honest, but the past 12 have been great because I have started to enjoy commentary a lot,” she said.
“I have had great opportunities with PSL and with men’s domestic cricket at home in Pakistan, then with the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand. That was huge.
“And now I have developed other hobbies. When I was playing, it was only cricket. I think the balance in my life is much better now.”
Mir is one of a sizeable contingent of Pakistan players featuring in the FairBreak event, with Bismah Maroof and Fatima Sana, the ICC’s emerging cricketer of the year, also travelling for the competition.
The returning veteran says she is happy for the chance to share a dressing room with players from as diverse destinations as Kuwait, the United States and the Philippines.
“It is great to be able to share experiences with other players, not only from your own country, but from other countries, too,” Mir said.
“It gives me great satisfaction to be able to do that.”
