Pakistan women's cricketer Ayesha Naseem recently made a shocking decision to retire from international cricket at the young age of 18.

Apparently, Ayesha quit cricket as she wants to live her life in accordance with the teachings of Islam. While she reached out to PCB to confirm her retirement, the board is yet to put out an official report.

Coming from a small village in Abbottabad, it was not easy for Ayesha to pursue cricket since parents there did not allow their daughters to play the sport.

"In my hometown, girls aren't even allowed to step out, let alone play cricket," she was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz.

After shifting to Karachi where she played cricket with her brother, Ayesha Naseem returned to Abbottabad in 2015. She had the chance of going back to Karachi, but chose not to follow that route.

"People frowned upon me for playing cricket. They constantly dissuaded me and suggested that I was a bad influence on their daughters," she stated.

"What's the point of me returning to Karachi? I had so many friends who were talented but didn't get that opportunity. I had the support of my family, and when others see me excel, I hope they will start sending their daughters to play as well. All that these girls need is the trust and support of their parents," she added.

Ayesha Naseem made her international debut in March 2020 and represented Pakistan in four women's ODIs and 30 women's T20Is. During her brief international career, she scored a total of 402 runs.

Ayesha rose to fame in January 2023 when she played a cameo against Australia in a WT20I match in Sydney. In that game, she scored 24 runs off 20 balls with three sixes and a four.

Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram was also impressed by her range of shots, hailing Ayesha as a "serious talent" on Twitter.

Ayesha Naseem’s last appearance for Pakistan was against Ireland during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in February this year.