Mudassar Nazar: the opener who made patience an art

Some batsmen please the crowd with their strokes, and some save their team with hours of hard work. Mudassar Nazar was the second kind of batsman. According to ESPNcricinfo, he was a quiet and unassuming cricketer who made the fullest use of his ability². In 76 Tests, he scored 4,114 runs at an average of 38.09, including 10 centuries, and also took 66 wickets with his medium-pace bowling¹.

Early life and start in cricket

Mudassar Nazar was born in Lahore on 6 April 1956. His father, Nazar Mohammad, was also an opener for Pakistan. According to ESPNcricinfo, he carried his bat through an innings in Pakistan’s first Test series in 1952-53. Mubashir Nazar is his brother. Mudassar batted right-handed and bowled right-arm medium pace. His first-class career ran from 1971-72 to 1993, and he played for Lahore, Punjab, Habib Bank, PIA, United Bank and Pakistan Universities².

His Test career began against Australia in Adelaide on 24 December 1976. He opened and scored 13 and 22¹.

The slowest century in Lahore

According to ESPNcricinfo, Mudassar was at his best on slow, low pitches². The best-known example is his first Test century against England in Lahore on 14 December 1977. He spent 591 minutes at the crease and scored 114 off 449 balls, with 12 fours¹. According to ESPNcricinfo, the century took just under ten hours and is described as the slowest in Test history³.

In the same series, he scored 66 in Hyderabad and 76 in Karachi. On 21 November 1979, he made 126 against India in Bangalore. The profile says it was comparatively quick and came in under eight hours¹³.

1982-83: a memorable series against India

The golden chapter of Mudassar Nazar’s career was the home series against India in 1982-83. According to ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan won it 3-0 and Mudassar was the leading run-scorer with 761 runs at an average of 126³.

In that series, after 119 in Karachi on 23 December 1982, he scored 231 in Hyderabad (Sindh) on 14 January 1983. The innings lasted 627 minutes and included 21 fours and a six. It is his highest Test score. On 23 January 1983 in Lahore, he opened and scored 152 in the first innings, remaining not out at the end. In ESPNcricinfo’s list of records, this innings is among the instances of carrying the bat in Test cricket. Father and son have both achieved this distinction²³. On 30 January 1983 in Karachi, he again scored 152. In 18 Tests against India, he averaged 62.21 and scored 6 centuries¹.

On 24 October 1984 in Faisalabad, he was dismissed for 199 against India after an innings of 552 minutes with 24 fours¹. According to ESPNcricinfo, he was the first batsman to be dismissed for 199 in Test cricket³.

With both bat and ball

According to ESPNcricinfo, he honed his medium-pace bowling as a league cricket professional in England, and he had some memorable moments in that art too². The most notable is the Lord’s Test on 12 August 1982. In England’s second innings he took 6 wickets for just 32 runs in 19 overs, and Pakistan won the match. At Leeds on 26 August 1982, he scored 65 and also took 4 wickets for 55¹. According to ESPNcricinfo’s list of records, he is among the players who opened both the batting and the bowling in the same Test³.

On the 1987 tour of England, which Pakistan won 1-0, he scored 124 in Birmingham on 23 July. On 25 November the same year, his 120 against England in Lahore, according to the profile, laid the foundation of a big win³. His last Test began against New Zealand in Auckland on 24 February 1989¹.

In one-day cricket, he scored 2,653 runs and took 111 wickets in 122 matches. His best one-day bowling figures are 5 for 28 against the West Indies in Melbourne on 6 March 1985. His highest one-day score is 95 against Australia in Sharjah on 11 April 1986¹.

Statistics

Source: ESPNcricinfo Statsguru¹. The figures are for his international career.

Influence and legacy

Mudassar Nazar’s record at home is especially impressive. In 35 Tests in Pakistan, he scored 2,467 runs at an average of 53.63, with 8 centuries¹. After leaving the game, he stayed involved in coaching. In 2005, he took charge of the Kenya national team. He was also associated with Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy as director and with the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai. In 2023, he became interim coach of the United Arab Emirates³.

The lesson of Mudassar Nazar’s cricket is simple: staying at the crease is also an art. Whether it was the long century in Lahore or the double century in Hyderabad, his innings were built on hours of hard work and gave the team a strong foundation.