Imran Nazir narrates his bitter experience of spending three days in jail

Imran Nazir was arrested when a pistol was found in his bag during airport security check while he was travelling to Karachi

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Sports Desk
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Former Pakistan batter Imran Nazir speaks during Nadir Alis podcast. — Screengrab/ YouTube/ Nadir Ali
Former Pakistan batter Imran Nazir speaks during Nadir Ali's podcast. — Screengrab/ YouTube/ Nadir Ali

Former Pakistani cricketer Imran Nazir has shared his bitter experience from the past of being arrested while travelling to Karachi and spending three days in jail.

It was when a pistol was found in his bag during an airport security check, Nazir said in a recent podcast

"My heart is pure. Everyone knows about this incident, nothing was found after investigation," he told the host.

The cricketer said that he used to live in Muridke back then and did not travel often.

"I was selected for an Under-19 cricket series against South Africa. We were travelling to Karachi when my bag went through the security scanner at the airport and I was asked whose bag it is," Nazir narrated.

The former batter, who played for Pakistan in eight Tests and 79 ODIs between 1999 and 2012, said that the security asked thrice who the bag belonged to, to which he confirmed that it was his.

"Pistols and bullets were lying on top of the bag," he explained, adding that he was then separated from the rest of the squad.

Detailing how terrified he was, Nazir said at first he thought it was a toy, but realised it was all real. "After that I was handcuffed and spent three days in jail, but then the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) got involved," he said.

Nazir said he was fortunate enough to not have been beaten up in jail, but his three days in jail "felt like 30 years".

When your intentions are good, nothing bad can ever happen to you, Nazir added.

He said that on his return from jail, his coaches advised him to forget the incident and treat it like a bad dream and focus on cricket.