"I want to thank the Shahid Afridi Foundation" - Imran Nazir on former Pakistan captain helping him during injury
Veteran Pakistani opener Imran Nazir expressed gratitude towards former Men in Green skipper Shahid Afridi for helping him significantly during his time away from the game. He also opened up on how he has returned to cricket after being on the sidelines due to an injury.
Nazir made a name for himself with explosive knocks at the top of the order for Pakistan. However, his promising career was derailed by injuries. The right-handed batter's last appearance in international cricket dates back to October 4, 2012.
Speaking about how he has been gearing up for his return to competitive cricket, Nazir said on Basit Ali's YouTube channel (from 0:50):
"I want to thank the Shahid Afridi Foundation for helping me a lot when I was injured. I am doing a lot of hard work to compensate for whatever I've missed."
Mentioning that he aspires to play in Pakistan's premier T20 tournament, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Nazir added:
"I am working very, very hard. My main mission is to play in the PSL. My fitness right now is such that I can go to any trials. I always believe in my hard work and I know what things a person coming back to cricket after a long time needs. When you are coming back at such a big level, then you should at least have the required level of fitness."
Last year, during his appearance on the Nadir Ali podcast, Nazir made a shocking revelation, claiming that he was being given 'slow poison' which severely damaged his joints. He disclosed that Afridi helped him financially after he spent all his savings during treatment.
"He does the kind of work that is impossible for common people" - Basit Ali on Shahid Afridi
In the video, Basit Ali stated that Imran Nazir wasn't the only cricketer who received help from Shahid Afridi. He spoke about how Afridi has often stood by Pakistani players during tough times.
Recalling Afridi's help for late Pakistani first-class cricketer Amir Bashir, the cricketer-turned-expert remarked (from 1:38):
"Amir Bashir was one of our players who played first-class cricket. He could not play international cricket. May God grant him a place in heaven. Shahid Afridi did a lot for him. I've always respected him, but now the respect has grown fourfold because he does the kind of work that is impossible for common people."
It is worth mentioning that Afridi has worked towards providing better education, health services, and access to water for underprivileged communities in Pakistan through his non-profit organization, Shahid Afridi Foundation.