Follow UsIndia might have won their opening game of the 2022 Women's World Cup against Pakistan but the real star of the contest was Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof's daughter, Fatima, as the Indian player converted around her to play with the six-month child. Earlier, in the day, Maroof had garnered attention from all over the media for returning with a cradle and holding her six-month-old daughter and the photo was hailed as a powerful statement.
Star India opening batter Smriti Mandhana has hailed "inspirational" Maroof for setting an example for sportswomen across the world by returning to play six months after giving birth to a child. Vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, and Richa Ghosh were seen making playful gestures at the toddler cradled in Maroof's arm.
"Coming back post-pregnancy in 6 months and playing international cricket is so inspiring. @bismahmaroof setting an example for sportswomen across the globe," Mandhara wrote in an Instagram post.
"Lots of love to baby Fatima from India and I hope she picks the bat just like you bcoz lefties are special."
Bismah Maroof's legacy will go far beyond her achievements on the field. In a society that often tells women to make choices between career and family, she's showing that you can have both! Such an inspiring person.pic.twitter.com/Vp7EB2iwKd
— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) March 6, 2022
After the match, the ICC tweeted along with a photo: "Little Fatima's first lesson in the spirit of cricket from India and Pakistan."
Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was quick to chip in with his admiring comment. "What a lovely moment! Cricket has boundaries on the field, but it breaks them all off the field. Sport unites!" he wrote in a tweet.
Even before the game, photographs of Maroof entering the stadium in Mount Maunganui with her daughter -- born in August last year -- cradled in her arms had become an instant hit on social media. That 30-year-old Maroof was able to travel to New Zealand with her daughter -- as well as her mother, Fatima's carer -- as Pakistan Cricket Board's maternity rule allows the mother "to travel with a support person of her choice to assist in caring for her infant child", with travel and accommodation costs shared equally between the board and the player.