(PTI Photo)
Former Pakistani cricketer Imran Nazir became visibly emotional during a live TV appearance as he recounted how Shahid Afridi had provided crucial assistance during a challenging period in his life. Nazir expressed deep gratitude towards Afridi, the former Pakistan captain, for his support. Last year, Nazir had shocked the cricketing world by alleging that he was poisoned at the peak of his career.
A year later, a fan shared a video clip showing Nazir expressing his heartfelt appreciation to Afridi for his invaluable assistance during his difficult times. The clip was from an episode of the Pakistani program ‘Haarna Mana Hay’. In the video, Nazir can be heard reflecting on a moment when he had questioned ‘Is there no one that can help me?’ for a treatment. Today I am going to mention one person, Shahid Afridi. Just on a simple request from me, that man laid down crores of rupees in front of me.”
Imran Nazir said that he was thankful for Afridi’s gesture that helped him make a full recovery. In the video, Nazir added, “Even today I want to tell Shahid Afridi and the Shahid Afridi Foundation, ‘I love you’ and I hope that you continue this good work always.”
Imran Nazir had a distinguished career with the Pakistan cricket team from 1999 to 2012, featuring in eight Test matches, 79 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 25 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). His final international appearance came on October 4, 2012, during a T20I match against Sri Lanka.
During an interview on the Nadir Ali Podcast, Nazir made headlines by alleging that he had been deliberately poisoned with mercury. “When I recently got treated, including MRI and all, a statement was issued that I was given poison – Mercury. It is a slow poison; it reaches your joints and damages them. For 8-10 years, all my joints were treated. All my joints had gotten damaged and for this reason, I suffered for almost 6-7 years,” Nazir revealed.
Imran Nazir is now a frequent guest on the popular Pakistani comedy show ‘Haarna Mana Hay’. Recently, he voiced criticism of Pakistan’s disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup held in the USA and the West Indies. The cricketing powerhouse endured a dismal campaign in the ICC tournament, bowing out after defeats to India and the USA.
