Former Pakistani keeper-batter Kamran Akmal has slammed the national team medical panel and team management for picking an injured Fakhar Zaman and for ruining his knee further by letting him play in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022.
Zaman, who had injured his knee previous to the ICC event, wasn’t picked in the original 15-member Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup and didn’t play in the T20I tri-series in New Zealand as well, as he was getting his knee treated.
Zaman, who had missed Pakistan's first two T20 World Cup matches against India and Zimbabwe, made a comeback to the side against the match against the Netherlands only to aggravate his knee injury and get ruled out of the tournament.
In the lead-up to the announcement of Fakhar being ruled out, Pakistan team doctor Najeebullah Soomro had said that Fakhar and the team understood the risks of coming into the tournament.
T20 World Cup 2022: Fakhar Zaman of Pakistan ruled out of tournament; Mohammad Haris replaces him
Mohammad Haris replaced Fakhar Zaman in the Pakistan squad and made an immediate impact against South Africa in Sydney.
Meanwhile, Kamran Akmal said there is no fault of Fakhar, who had played a crucial 20-run knock in Pakistan's win against the Netherlands. It is the medical team, selectors, coach, and captain that should be answerable.
"Fakhar ka koi kasoor nahi hai. Medical panel se puchna chaie, selectors se puchna chaie, captain aur coach se bhi. Ye Pakistan ki team hai, koi domestic wala nahi ki apne marzi ka kuch bhi kar le. Sack karna chaie is medical panel ko. (There's no fault of Fakhar. The medical panel, selectors, captain and coach are answerable. The medical panel should be sacked,)" said Akmal on his YouTube channel.
Akmal said players in domestic cricket are sent home if they don't clear their fitness then how come the same rule is not followed while picking the side for Pakistan?
"Meri toh request PCB se hai ki is medical panel ko kis buniyad pe rakkha hu hai? aapko injury k bade mein nahi pata, aap injured players ko squad mei rakh rahe ho. Ye kya koi ghar ki team hai ki koi bhi inured ho phir bhi hissa banega. Jo fit hote hai, jo domestic mein bada accha karte hai unpe toh bohut allegation lagate hai. Agar wo fitness test clear na kare toh aap ghar bhijwane ki baat karte hai. Toh Pakistan team mein aisa kyu nahi hota?
(PCB has kept this medical panel on what basis? They don't know about injuries, they are making injured players play. The ones fit and scoring runs in domestic cricket have to face a lot of criticism, they are sent home if they don't pass the fitness test,)" he added.
(Hindustan Times inputs)
