Last opportunity for Imran Nazir to revive his career - Opinion
Having played his last match for Pakistan about two and a half years ago (February 2010 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-Nazir-c64248, has been given yet another lifeline at the international level, with a recall to the national team for the
forthcoming http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 prior to that.
Nazir, 30, burst into the scene of international cricket during the Asian Test Championship encounter against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, in 1999, making an immediate impression at the world-stage, scoring a brilliant half-century on debut.
The stroke-maker was reckoned as one of the brightest young talents of the globe, predicted for greatness in the coming years. Imran however, after 13 years of struggle, is yet to fulfil his potential at the ultimate level of the game, although he has done
exceedingly well for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sialkot-c842 Stallions in the shortest format and played a massive role in the team’s consistent performances in the country's domestic cricket.
Despite scoring a couple of brilliant centuries in the five-day format of the game, including a superb knock against a strong http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 bowling attack at Bridgetown in 2000, the right-hander has been labelled as a limited-overs specialist since the last
decade.
Taking into account http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saeed-Anwar-c87864, Nazir is right up there with the most fluent players in the country, having the ability to take on any bowling attack of the world on a given day.
Young opening batsman, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ahmed-Shehzad-c42359, was preferred in the T20 squad during the tour of Sri Lanka, where he played an impressive knock in the first match. However, for a tournament as intense as the World T20, the selectors have gone for a safer approach,
prioritising experienced cricketers over the youngsters.
Prior to the announcement of the national squad, former opening batsman, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wajahatullah-Wasti-c2776, urged the selectors to give another opportunity to the attacking batsman. The former Test opener is of the view that Nazir is an ideal player for the game’s shortest
format, having a massive range of shots.
The former cricketer from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Peshawar-c832 maintains that Nazir has improved his game in the recent times.
"Imran has performed very well in the T20 format. His temperament used to be a problem but it has improved a lot and I think he is ready to make a comeback. Imran could be an inspired selection for the T20 World Cup later this year," said Wasti.
The opener himself claims to have learnt from mistakes which have led to his career’s downfall till date. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 thinks that he is at the peak of his game now and can turn out to be a genuine match-winner for Pakistan.
The 30-year-old believes, "I feel that now is my time to be playing international cricket as I think that I am a far better batsman these days, a more complete batsman, a batsman who has the ability to single-handedly win a match for Pakistan."
Whether the talented batsman has learnt from his mistakes or not, only time will tell, but one thing is for sure that the three-match T20 series against Australia and the forthcoming mega event may well be the last opportunity for Nazir to revive his struggling
career.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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