LAHORE: Former Pakistan Test off-spinner Nazir Junior passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 78 years old.

Nazir, who represented Pakistan in 14 Test matches and four One-day Internationals, claimed 34 and three wickets respectively in the formats.

The veteran cricketer had suffered serious injuries in an accident five years ago but managed to survive. He had been hospitalised recently in critical condition and, despite efforts, could not recover.

His body was laid to rest at a local graveyard in Lahore on Thursday night.

After his retirement from playing, Nazir transitioned into umpiring, overseeing five Test matches and 15 ODIs.

Nazir rose to prominence during Pakistan’s 1980 tour against the West Indies. In that series, he was particularly effective against the great Sir Viv Richards, dismissing him three times, including twice clean bowling the batting legend.

Nazir’s Test career spanned across four separate periods between 1969 and 1983. His debut came in 1969, when he played all three Tests against New Zealand in Pakistan.

However, he was dropped soon after, making a brief comeback in 1973 for a single Test against England in Hyderabad.

He re-emerged in 1980 during the West Indies’ tour of Pakistan, featuring in four Tests.

After a three-year hiatus, Nazir was recalled for the 1983 India tour and was also retained for the Australian series later that year, which would be his final international outing.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024