Parvaz Mirza
Encyclopedia
Parvaz Mirza was an English
cricketer
: a right-arm medium-pace bowler who also batted right-handed.
Born in Birmingham
, Mirza played two games for Warwickshire
's second team in 1990
before appearing for Worcestershire
's second team later that summer. For the next few years he made sporadic appearances at Second XI level, for Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Hampshire
. He also played for Herefordshire
in the 1993
MCC Trophy. In the 1994 season
, by now a full-fledged Worcestershire player, Mirza broke through to make his first-class
debut in the game against Oxford University
and took 4-29 in the first innings. He also played in two County Championship
games that season, as well as three List A matches, all in the AXA Equity and Law League
.
In 1995
Mirza was a fairly regular member of Worcestershire's one-day
side, playing 15 times and taking 18 wickets in that form of the game at an average
of 24.33; he was selected less often for in first-class matches, but still made six appearances. In the Championship match against Derbyshire
in August he took his only five-wicket innings haul, returning figures of 5-110 in the first innings; he was also instrumental in saving the game for his county when he shared in an unlikely unbroken last-wicket partnership of 30 with Paul Thomas
.
Mirza played his final match against Glamorgan
on 17 September, though poor weather meant that he did not bat or bowl. Exactly one week later, he died suddenly at his Birmingham home in his mother's arms. Worcestershire secretary Mike Vockins said, "We are devastated. The news has come as a complete bombshell". It was later revealed that Mirza had been suffering from a cardiac
condition that had not been picked up by a check-up he had undergone shortly before his death.
Parvaz's brother, Maneer Mirza
, played ten games for Worcestershire in the 1997 season
. he grew up in the Small Heath
area of Birmingham
, where he became good friends with Wasim Khan
who also went on to become a profesional cricketer. In Khan's biography he tells tales of boyhood memories of Parvaz, such as crafting a cricket bat out of a piece of wooden fencing and sneaking into Edgbaston to see international cricket games.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
: a right-arm medium-pace bowler who also batted right-handed.
Born in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Mirza played two games for Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
's second team in 1990
1990 English cricket season
The 1990 English season was one of the most batsmen-friendly summers in living memory. The size of the seam on the cricket ball had been reduced markedly from 1989, and along with dry conditions and the extension of four-day cricket this allowed batsmen to build huge scores: Graham Gooch became one...
before appearing for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
's second team later that summer. For the next few years he made sporadic appearances at Second XI level, for Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
. He also played for Herefordshire
Herefordshire County Cricket Club
Herefordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Herefordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the 1993
1993 English cricket season
The 1993 English cricket season saw the dramatic arrival on the scene of Shane Warne and his incredible "Gatting Ball". Australia, led by Steve Waugh, now had one of the strongest teams ever known and won the Ashes with plenty to spare....
MCC Trophy. In the 1994 season
1994 English cricket season
The 1994 English cricket season saw the emergence of a very strong Warwickshire team who won both the County Championship and the Sunday League.-Honours:*County Championship - Warwickshire*NatWest Trophy - Worcestershire...
, by now a full-fledged Worcestershire player, Mirza broke through to make his first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut in the game against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and took 4-29 in the first innings. He also played in two County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
games that season, as well as three List A matches, all in the AXA Equity and Law League
National League (cricket)
The NatWest Pro40 League was a one-day cricket league for first-class cricket counties in England and Wales. It was inaugurated in 1999, but was essentially the old Sunday League retitled to reflect the fact that large numbers of matches were played on days other than Sunday.-Sunday League:The...
.
In 1995
1995 English cricket season
The 1995 English cricket season saw a continued dominance of the domestic scene by Warwickshire.-Honours:*County Championship - Warwickshire CCC*NatWest Trophy - Warwickshire CCC*Sunday League - Kent CCC*Benson & Hedges Cup -...
Mirza was a fairly regular member of Worcestershire's one-day
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
side, playing 15 times and taking 18 wickets in that form of the game at an average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 24.33; he was selected less often for in first-class matches, but still made six appearances. In the Championship match against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
in August he took his only five-wicket innings haul, returning figures of 5-110 in the first innings; he was also instrumental in saving the game for his county when he shared in an unlikely unbroken last-wicket partnership of 30 with Paul Thomas
Paul Thomas (cricketer)
Paul Thomas was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler. A real paceman, he made his first-class debut against a team of West Indians for Worcestershire in 1995, after breaking through with a quick wicket...
.
Mirza played his final match against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
on 17 September, though poor weather meant that he did not bat or bowl. Exactly one week later, he died suddenly at his Birmingham home in his mother's arms. Worcestershire secretary Mike Vockins said, "We are devastated. The news has come as a complete bombshell". It was later revealed that Mirza had been suffering from a cardiac
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
condition that had not been picked up by a check-up he had undergone shortly before his death.
Parvaz's brother, Maneer Mirza
Maneer Mirza
Maneer Mohammed Mirza is an English cricketer: a right-arm fast-medium bowler and right-handed batsman who played for Worcestershire...
, played ten games for Worcestershire in the 1997 season
1997 English cricket season
The 1997 English cricket season centred on the six Test Ashes series against Australia. England won the first, at Edgbaston, by the decisive margin of nine wickets, and the rain-affected second Test at Lord's was drawn, but any English optimism was short-lived...
. he grew up in the Small Heath
Small Heath, Birmingham
Small Heath is an inner-city area within the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is situated on and around the A45 ....
area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, where he became good friends with Wasim Khan
Wasim Khan
Wasim Gulzar Khan is a former English cricketer, he was also one of the first British born-Pakistani's to play county cricket in England. He was a left-handed batsman and a left-arm leg-break bowler...
who also went on to become a profesional cricketer. In Khan's biography he tells tales of boyhood memories of Parvaz, such as crafting a cricket bat out of a piece of wooden fencing and sneaking into Edgbaston to see international cricket games.
External links
- Statistical summary from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- Cardiac screening should be mandatory from Cardiac Risk in the YoungCardiac Risk in the YoungCardiac Risk in the Young is a humanitarian charitable organization helping to raise awareness of cardiac risk, Sudden Cardiac Death , Sudden Death Syndrome . Established in May 1995 by Alison Cox and based in the United Kingdom. The former tennis player Mark Cox is one of its patrons...
; reprinted from Cricket World magazine, winter 2002