Shabnim Ismail

International career

Shabnim Ismail is one of South Africa's most famous cricketers. She was born on October 5, 1988, and made her debut for the national women's team in January 2007. Ismail is known for her speed as a right-arm fast bowler. She holds the record as South Africa's leading wicket-taker in both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Her fastest delivery, 132.1 kilometers per hour (82.1 mph), was recorded during the 2024 Women’s Premier League (WPL), making her one of the fastest female bowlers in the world.

Ismail has played in every ICC Women’s World Twenty20 since its start in 2009. She has competed in eight editions of the tournament, including 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023. In the beginning, she was not the main bowler but later became one of the top bowlers for her team. She regularly opened the bowling alongside Marizanne Kapp, creating one of the best fast-bowling duos in women’s cricket.

In January 2021, Ismail reached a major milestone, becoming the fourth bowler to take 100 wickets in T20Is. By 2022, she set another record by taking the most wickets at a single venue in WODIs, with 24 wickets at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom.

On May 3, 2023, Ismail announced her retirement from international cricket. She has been an inspiration to many players and cricketers, particularly because of her passion and aggression on the field. Her role model was South African bowler Andre Nel, known for his aggressive style of play. Ismail chose the number 89 on her jersey to honor Nel. She was also inspired by Dale Steyn, another famous South African fast bowler.

Ismail is the only Muslim woman to have played international cricket for South Africa. She has also spoken about her battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder, showing her strength in facing personal challenges.

Early in her career, Ismail focused on batting but struggled with being dismissed. She considered quitting the game but decided to focus on bowling instead, which led to her success. Soon after joining a cricket club, she made her debut for the Western Province Under-16 team and quickly moved up to the senior squad.

Before pursuing a career in cricket, Ismail worked as a speed-point technician, maintaining credit and debit card machines for electronic payments. As of 2016, she was studying to become a mechanical engineer.

• January 2007: Shabnim Ismail debuted for South Africa at 18 years old in a One Day International (ODI) against Pakistan. She also played her first Test match against the Netherlands and her first T20I against New Zealand in the same year.
• 2009: Ismail was part of the South African team for the 2009 World Cup in Australia. She took just one wicket in three games. However, at the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, she performed well with seven wickets in three matches, including 3/27 against Australia.
• 2011: In the World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh, Ismail took 6/10 against the Netherlands. She helped bowl the team out for only 36 runs, setting a new ODI record for South Africa. It was one of the best bowling performances in women’s ODIs at that time.
• 2013: Ismail did well at the 2013 World Cup in India, taking 11 wickets in seven matches. She led South Africa's wickets tally, including 4/41 against Australia and 2/18 against Pakistan. In 2013, she was among the first women cricketers to get a full-time contract from Cricket South Africa.
• 2014: At the 2014 World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, Ismail was South Africa's leading wicket-taker, with seven wickets in five matches. She took 3/5 against Ireland, helping South Africa reach their first semi-final.
• 2016: During the World Twenty20 in India, South Africa won only one match. Ismail struggled, taking only three wickets in four matches. In 2017, she set a record for the most runs conceded in a Women’s Cricket World Cup innings, finishing with 1/89 against England.
• 2018: Ismail was one of fourteen players to get a national contract for the 2018-19 season. In October, she was named in the squad for the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in the West Indies. She took six wickets in four matches and was the best performer for South Africa in the tournament.
• 2020: Ismail played for South Africa in the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia. She took five wickets in four matches, including 3/8 against Thailand. However, South Africa was knocked out in the semi-finals.
• 2021: In January, Ismail became the first South African to take 100 wickets in WT20Is during a series against Pakistan. She also set her career-best bowling figures of 5/12 in the second match of the series. In March 2021, she became the first South African bowler to take 150 wickets in WODIs.
• 2022: In February, Ismail played a major role in South Africa's 2-1 series win over the West Indies, taking 4/44 in the final ODI. She also played five matches for the Sapphires team at the 2022 FairBreak Invitational T20 in Dubai, with a best of 3/20. In June, she played her 100th WT20I against Ireland.
• 2022 Commonwealth Games: Ismail was part of South Africa's team for the cricket tournament at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
• 2023: Ismail played in the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. She took two wickets as South Africa lost to Australia in the final.
• May 3, 2023: After 16 years of playing for South Africa, Ismail announced her retirement from international cricket. She played 241 international matches and took 317 wickets in all formats.

Leagues Participation

Shabnim Ismail has played in several top women’s cricket leagues around the world. These leagues have allowed her to show her skills and contribute to the growth of women’s cricket.

Women's T20 Super League in South Africa

In September 2019, Shabnim Ismail joined the Devnarain XI squad for the first Women’s T20 Super League in South Africa.

Year	Team	Notes
2019	Devnarain XI	Played in the inaugural edition of the Women's T20 Super League

Women's Big Bash League

Shabnim Ismail played in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) for several teams. She started with the Melbourne Renegades in 2015/16, where she made an impact with a 3/10 performance. She then joined the Sydney Thunder in 2019/20 and was a key part of their WBBL|06 win. In 2023/24, she played for the Hobart Hurricanes, and in 2024/25, she returned to the Thunder, taking 3 wickets in a match against Adelaide Strikers.

Year	Team	Notes
2015/16	Melbourne Renegades	Signed as overseas marquee player, took 3/10 on debut against Melbourne Stars, won by 5 wickets
2019/20	Sydney Thunder	Finished with 10 wickets, 3rd most economical bowler (5.88 runs per over), praised for fielding
2020/21	Sydney Thunder	Played key role in WBBL
2023/24	Hobart Hurricanes	Played in the Big Bash Women's League match, scored 7 points, game ended with Adelaide Strikers winning 164/3
2024/25	Sydney Thunder	Re-signed, took 3 wickets in a match against Adelaide Strikers, helping Thunder win by 64 points

Women's Cricket Super League

In 2016, Shabnim Ismail joined the Yorkshire Diamonds for the inaugural season of England's Women's Cricket Super League. She played in all five matches for the team, taking six wickets. Her best performance was 2/16 from two overs against Western Storm and 2/23 from four overs against Lancashire Thunder.

Year	Team	Notes
2016	Yorkshire Diamonds	Played all five matches, took six wickets, best figures 2/16 against Western Storm and 2/23 against Lancashire Thunder.

Women's Hundred

Shabnim Ismail joined Oval Invincibles as a replacement for Rachael Haynes in the first season of Women's Hundred in 2021. She stayed with the team for the 2022 season. In 2023, playing for Welsh Fire, Ismail took a hat-trick against Birmingham Phoenix, becoming only the second woman to do so in the tournament. In 2024, Ismail made a great catch against Southern Brave, dismissing Lauren Bell on the last ball of the match.

Year	Team	Notes
2021	Oval Invincibles	Joined as a replacement for Rachael Haynes in the first season of Women's Hundred.
2022	Oval Invincibles	Played in the Women's Hundred 2022 season.
2023	Welsh Fire	Took a hat-trick against Birmingham Phoenix and became the second woman in the history of the tournament to do so.
2024	Welsh Fire	Caught Lauren Bell from Southern Brave on the last ball of the match.

Women's Premier League

Shabnim Ismail played for UP Warriorz in the 2023 Women's Premier League (WPL). In 2024, she was bought by Mumbai Indians for 1.2 crore INR at the WPL auction. During the season, she celebrated taking the wicket of Alyssa Healy from UP Warriorz. In a match against Delhi Capitals, Ismail bowled at a speed of 132.1 km/h (82.08 mph), a new record in women's cricket. Despite the achievement, her performance wasn't strong, and Mumbai Indians lost to Delhi Capitals. In 2025, Mumbai Indians won their second WPL title by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final.

Year	Team	Notes
2023	UP Warriorz	Played for UP Warriorz in the Women's Premier League 2023.
2024	Mumbai Indians	Bought for 1.2 crore INR at the WPL 2024 auction. Set a record by bowling at 132.1 km/h (82.08 mph).
2025	Mumbai Indians	Helped Mumbai Indians win their second WPL title in 2025, defeating Delhi Capitals in the final.

Women’s Caribbean Premier League

Shabnim Ismail played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2023 Women's Caribbean Premier League. She participated in the match against the Trinbago Knight Riders. Ismail took 7 wickets in 5 matches with an average of 15.14.

Year	Team	Notes
2023-2024	Guyana Amazon Warriors	Took 7 wickets in 5 matches with an average of 15.14. Played against Trinbago Knight Riders.

Domestic career

Shabnim Ismail started playing cricket for Western Province in South Africa in October 2005 when she was just 17 years old. She took 15 wickets in her first season, the second most for her team. Over the years, she continued to perform well, taking 21 wickets in the 2007–08 season. She played in several finals of the Women's Provincial League and later joined Gauteng in the 2015–16 season. In 2019, she was part of the Devnarain XI in South Africa's first Women's T20 Super League.

Ismail also played in Australia. She joined the Melbourne Renegades in 2015–16 for the Women's Big Bash League. In her first match, she took 3/10 against the Melbourne Stars. Later, she signed with the Sydney Thunder for the 2019–20 season. She was known for being one of the most economical bowlers, and she played a key role in helping Sydney Thunder win the WBBL|06 title. She took important wickets in the final, including Meg Lanning, and won the Player of the Final award. She was ruled out of the 2021 season because of a knee injury.

In England, Ismail played for the Yorkshire Diamonds in the 2016 Women's Cricket Super League. She took six wickets during the tournament. She also joined the Oval Invincibles as a replacement player in 2021 and later played for them in the 2022 season of The Hundred.

Records and achievements

Shabnim Ismail has earned several honors throughout her career. Here are some of her key achievements:

• 2015: Won CSA Women's Cricketer of the Year at the South Africa Cricket Awards.
• 2015: Nominated for South Africa Sportswoman of the Year at the South African Sports Awards.
• July 2020: Named Women's T20 Player of the Year at Cricket South Africa's annual awards.
• February 2021: Awarded Women’s Player of the Month in the first edition of the ICC Player of the Month Awards.
• 2021: Included in both the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year and the ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year at the 2021 ICC Awards.
• 2024: Set a record for the fastest delivery in women’s cricket, reaching 132.1 km/h (82.08 mph) in a WPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.

Personal life

Shabnim Ismail, a well-known South African cricketer, has led an interesting personal life alongside her cricket career. Born in Cape Town, her journey in sports started early, influenced by her family and her passion for cricket.

Finance

As of October 2024, Shabnim Ismail’s net worth is estimated to be $1.35 million.

Family

Shabnim Ismail was born in Cape Town and raised in Cravenby, a neighborhood in the suburb of Parow. She is the youngest of seven siblings, and her parents came to South Africa from India. Ismail grew up in a family that loved sports, and she often played cricket, soccer, and other sports with her brothers and cousins, including Yaseen Vallie, who later became a Western Province cricketer.
At Cravenby Secondary School, there was no cricket for girls, so Ismail played football with boys. Eventually, a boys' cricket team was formed at her school, and she joined. She often played in football shorts.
Ismail’s love for cricket was encouraged by her mother and grandfather. In 2004, while playing football, she was approached by a woman who asked if she played cricket. This led to her joining the Primrose Cricket Club.

Scandals

In 2014, Shabnim was involved in an alcohol-related incident and was temporarily suspended from the National Academy. She was asked to attend counseling.
In 2022, during the Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final against England, Shabnim was reprimanded for using inappropriate language. This was a violation of the ICC Code of Conduct, which addresses actions that may provoke aggressive reactions.

Fans

In May 2023, Shabnim Ismail announced the end of her international career. She thanked her fans for their support. She has 77k followers on Instagram.