Overview
Shabnim Ismail (born 5 October 1988) is a South African former international cricketer who made her debut for the national women's team in January 2007. A right-arm fast bowler, she is South Africa's all-time leading wicket-taker in both the One Day International and Twenty20 International formats.
Ismail has earned a reputation as one of the fastest female bowlers in the world, having recorded a delivery clocked at 132.1 kilometres per hour (82.1 mph) during the Women's Premier League in 2024, noted as the fastest ball bowled by a female cricketer. She featured in every edition of the ICC Women's World Twenty20 from its inception in 2009, appearing on eight occasions: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2023.
In her early years, Ismail was used as a second-change bowler before transforming into a frontline option who led the bowling attack and usually took the new ball. She remained a vital part of the South African bowling unit for over a decade, often opening the attack alongside Marizanne Kapp in what was regarded as one of the finest fast-bowling combinations in women's international cricket.
In January 2021, Ismail became just the fourth bowler to reach 100 wickets in Women's T20Is. As of 2022, she held the record for the most wickets taken at a single venue in the history of Women's ODIs, with 24 scalps at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom. On 3 May 2023, she announced her retirement from international cricket.