NEWS
Follow UsMohammad Nazir, the former Pakistan cricketer and umpire, has passed away at the age of 78 after fighting a long battle with illness. An off-spinner by trait, Nazir took his last breath in Lahore.
Also known as Nazir Jr, he played 14 Tests and four ODIs for Pakistan in a career spanned across 15 years. He made his Test debut in 1969 against New Zealand in Karachi and picked match figures of 7/114 in a drawn Test alongside scoring 46 runs with the bat — 29* and 17*.
He played all three Tests of the series but was omitted from the side after going wicketless in the final Test.
He returned to the side in 1973 where also he went wicketless and then played his subsequent 10 Tests between 1980 and 1983. Overall, Nazir picked 34 wickets in his 14 Tests, averaging 33.1 runs apiece. His four ODIs came in 1980, 1983 and 1984, in which he managed four wickets.
All this while, he remained a consistent performer for Pakistan Railways and Punjab University in domestic cricket, playing for over two decades and picking 829 wickets in 180 first-class matches at only 19.3 runs per wicket. He also notched up two hundreds.
"On behalf of the PCB, I express my condolences and grief over the demise of our former Test cricketer Mohammad Nazir," PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said. "We extend our deepest sympathies and share the grief of his friends and family. His contributions to Pakistan cricket will always be remembered."
After retirement, he became an international and a domestic umpire, standing in five Tests and 15 ODIs.
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