Former cricketer Nazir Junior passes away at 78

LAHORE: Former Pakistan test spinner and umpire Nazir Junior passed away at the age of 78, his son confirmed on Tuesday.

Nazir Junior was struggling with different health problems and was critically ill over the past week, leading his son Noman Nazir to call on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to aid with the medical care.

He stated that “The PCB had helped him a lot in the past but since the last year, we’ve been taking care of the medical care.” The former Pakistani cricketer was injured five years ago in a road accident.

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Nazir was an offspinner who represented Pakistan in 14 tests and four ODIs. He took 34 wickets across the 18 innings of test cricket he played, with his best innings coming in his debut against New Zealand in 1969 when he took 7 wickets while conceding 99 runs.

His other notable performances came against the West Indies in 1980 when he took eight wickets, and against India in 1983 when he took seven wickets. Nazir played a total of 180 matches of First-Class cricket, in which he took 829 wickets.

Following the end of his career in 1984, he became an umpire, overseeing 15 ODIs and five tests.

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