Pakistan opening batsman Imran Nazir: “Due to illness, I had to quit cricket at a young age, but what saddens me the most is that when I got fit after my illness, I didn’t receive the respect and value I deserved. I was never considered anywhere”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan big-hitting opener Imran Nazir has revealed that he didn’t get the respect he deserved after making a comeback following an illness.
He noted that he had to “quit cricket” due to the illness but after making a recovery, he “was never considered anywhere”.
Nazir is well-known as being one of the most attacking openers Pakistan had and scored 427 runs in eight Test matches, which included two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 32.84.
He also featured in 79 ODIs and amassed 1,895 runs, which included two hundreds and nine half-centuries, at an average of 24.61.
As for his T20I career, the 43-year-old from Gujranwala made 500 runs in 25 games, which included three fifties, at an average of 21.73.
“Due to illness, I had to quit cricket at a young age, but what saddens me the most is that when I got fit after my illness, I didn’t receive the respect and value I deserved. I was never considered anywhere,” Nazir was quoted as saying by TOK Sports on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Pakistan team recently toured Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa before returning home to play a two-Test series against the West Indies in Multan.
Currently, they are taking on New Zealand and South Africa in an ODI tri-series.
After this, Pakistan will be involved in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be held from February 19 to March 9.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
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