Former cricketer, umpire Nadir Shah dies

Former cricketer and a panel umpire of International Cricket Council Nadir Shah died of cancer at a Dhaka hospital in the early hours on Friday. He was 57.

Confirming the matter, a Bangladesh Cricket Board official said Nadir breathed his last at Anwer Khan Modern Hospital at 3:48 am.

Nadir, who had been suffering from lung cancer for two years, was in charge of six Tests as a TV umpire and was a field umpire in 40 one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals.

The last time he supervised a match was in October 2019 at the National Cricket League.

Former national captain Aminul Islam led a rich tribute to the late umpire.

“Today cricket has lost a passionate cricketer, umpire, and lover of the game. I had the privilege to know and play with him for many years. No matter what challenge came his way, he always took it on with courage and a smile. Nadir bhai, you will live on in our hearts and minds forever,” Aminul wrote in his Facebook.

Bangladesh Cricket Board will observe one-minute silence in his memory ahead of the Bangladesh-New Zealand final Twenty20 international on Friday.

BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury in a condolence message said, “Nadir Shah was a most affable person who was loved and respected by all in the cricket fraternity. He will be missed. He lived for cricket and had always executed his responsibility as an umpire with fairness. We pray for the salvation of his soul.”

His namaz-e-janaza was held at the Baitul Aman Mosque in Dhanmondi Road 7 after Jumma prayer, according to his family.