This is the right time to recall Shahid Nazir by Hassan Butt

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Player:	Shahid Nazir
Event:	Pakistan in India 2004/05

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DateLine: 25th March 2005

 

Currently the Pakistan cricket team is touring India. Although the team is in fact a balanced one but it can't be called as the best available side. It seems the Selectors did not have a close look at the leading performers in National Cricket Pakistan (Pakistan’s domestic cricket) before announcing the squad. A cursory look at the rankings and averages would show there were six bowlers who have already taken over 45 wickets.

 

During the 2004-05 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, ex-Test pacer Shahid Nazir (52 wickets at 12.75), Waqar Ahmed (49 at 18.83), Fazl-e-Akbar (47 wickets at 18.00), Abdur Rauf (47 wickets at 28.42) and legspinner Imran Tahir (45 at 17.91) were the top five wicket-takers. Strangely none of them was given an opportunity to prove his potential at the international level.

 

Fast bowling has been Pakistan's main weapon in recent years but is a concern for the last couple of years after the departure of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Though Pakistan's front-line bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Sami have been considered among the leading speedsters as far as pace is concerned, their effectiveness especially against quality batting is rather open to question. And, worse the fitness problems that continue to besiege the current pacers like Shaoaib, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul pose more problems.

 

It may be recalled here that Sami has been a regular member of the Pakistan cricket team since his debut but has unfortunately still not been able to prove himself as an effective fast bowler during his four-year International career. His figures (46.00 runs per wicket in Tests and 27.00 in ODIs) are disappointing and a point to ponder for the Team Management and Selectors.

 

Thus in such a crisis situation, one needs a close look at in-form pacer Shahid Nazir, who may be out of favour but could have been considered for the Australia and India tours. Shahid took 52 wickets at an impressive average of 12.75 in the country's premier First-Class tournament this season. His best bowling in an innings was six wickets for 18 runs. He also bagged 11 wickets in the recently held ABN-AMRO Cup National One-day Tournament with fine average of 11.45.

 

In the previous season (2003 -04), Shahid finished the year with over 50 scalps in first-class matches. His first-class career bowling figures are 336 wickets at 20.22. Shahid is 27 and played the last of his 8 Tests against Sri Lanka in Lahore during the 1998-99 season.

 

Surely he can bolster Pakistan’s attack in the forthcoming One-Day Internationals in India in the absence of Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Shabbir Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq?

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2005 hassanbutt6@hotmail.com)