By Ijaz Ahmad Khan
LAHORE: Pakistan will honour nine national giants of cricket, with former women’s captain Sana Mir to be conferred the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and men’s superstar Shahid Afridi to receive the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, fitting recognition for careers that reshaped cricket and inspired millions.
According to the details, the awards are being given in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sports.
Legendary all-rounder Afridi, who represented Pakistan in 524 international matches across formats and was a part of the squad that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2009, will be honoured with the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in recognition of his remarkable achievements in the sport.
Besides Afridi, renowned mountaineer Shehroze Kashif, who is the youngest Pakistani to summit all 14 peaks exceeding 8,000m, and late Equestrian Malik Muhammad Atta, will be conferred with Hilal-e-Imtiaz.
International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Famer Sana Mir has been shortlisted for Sitara-e-Imtiaz for her services to the nation in the field of cricket.
The former off-spinner, who represented Pakistan for around 15 years, became the first woman cricketer from Pakistan to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in June this year.
Similarly, Pakistan’s most successful para-athlete, Haider Ali, has also been nominated for Sitara-e-Imtiaz. Haider has won four medals for Pakistan, with his most recent being a bronze at the Paris Paralympics in Discus Throw last year. National Mixed Martial Artist Shahzaib Rind and Kabaddi player Muhammad Sajjad will be awarded the President’s Award for Pride of Performance (PAPP) for their respective achievements.
Meanwhile, Squash player Hamza Khan, shooter Mohsin Nawaz and Tennis player Rashid Malik have been nominated for Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. It is pertinent to mention that these awards will be presented on Pakistan Day, March 23 2026.
Edited By Sumayah Ahmad
Reporter/Editor
www:sportslinehd.com
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