'I was poisoned during my career peak,' Imran Nazir reveals

Former Pakistan opener, Imran Nazir, has recently shared a chilling story about how he was poisoned at the peak of his career. 

Nazir, who played for Pakistan in 8 Tests and 79 ODIs between 1999 and 2012, had first disclosed about the illness last May, but, has now revealed more details about the incident.

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"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 joint 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. But even then, I prayed to God, 'Please don't make me bedridden'. And thankfully, that never happened," Nazir said on the Nadir Ali podcast.

"I used to walk around and all when people used to ask 'You're looking fine'. I doubted a lot of people but when and what did I eat, I cannot figure out. Because the poison doesn't react instantly. It kills you for years. I still never wished bad for whoever did this. The person saving is better than the one who wants to kill," he added.

According to Nazir, he was poisoned with Mercury, which is a slow poison that damages joints. For 8-10 years, all his joints were treated, and in the process, he exhausted all his life's savings, which is estimated to be PKR 12-15 crore.

The right-hand batsman said that during his tough time, former Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, stood beside him like a rock and helped him a lot.

"I have spent my entire life's saving on my treatment. In the end, there was a final treatment, in which Shahid Afridi helped me a lot. He helped me in my time of need. I had nothing left when I met Shahid bhai. Within a day, my doctor received the money in his account. He said 'No matter how much money is needed, my brother should get well'. He spent around 40-50 lakh. I was happy that he had told his manager 'Don't even ask about him. Keep sending how much money he needs'. The credit even goes to my doctor that he never tried to cheat me. He stuck to the amount that was required," added the former Pakistan opener.

Despite the suffering he endured, Nazir said that he never wished bad for whoever did this to him. He said that the person saving him was better than the one who wanted to kill him. 

The 41-year-old has not played cricket in any form since 2018, where he represented the Kerala Knights in the T10 League alongside players such as Chris Gayle, Eoin Morgan, and Jonny Bairstow.