Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad has questioned Pakistan batter Imam-ul-Haq’s calf injury, accusing the opener of putting on an act after he was ruled out of the second Test against England at Lord’s. Imam suffered a low-grade strain to his left calf while fielding on the opening day of the second Test. The injury came shortly after he dropped two important catches, adding to a difficult outing for the Pakistan opener.
He was attended to by Pakistan’s medical team before being ruled out of the remainder of the Test the following day. His absence left Pakistan a batter short for the rest of the match. However, Imam was back in the spotlight on Day 4 when he was seen on the Lord’s sidelines with his injured left calf taped up. The Pakistan batter was knocking a ball around and appeared to be limping as he went through some batting practice.
Reports from inside the Pakistan camp suggested that Imam could still come out to bat in the second innings if his team found itself in desperate need of another batter. The sight, however, did not go down well with Broad. Speaking on Sky Sports, the former England pacer questioned why Imam chose to practise in full view of the crowd and cameras if his injury was serious enough to rule him out of the Test.
“Did he come out and bat after all this?” Broad said. Broad’s comments also drew support from former Australia opener David Warner, who agreed with the former England pacer.
ENGLAND VS PAKISTAN 2ND TEST DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS
“That’s all for show. He has got a bit of stick from the media and maybe his teammates. Whatever. You can do that inside the indoor school without anyone seeing, don’t have to come wearing shorts and tape and hobble around like that. I am not impressed with that. Sorry,” Broad said.
Broad’s comments have added another layer to the controversy surrounding Imam’s injury, particularly given the circumstances in which he was ruled out of the Test.
Imam had been officially withdrawn from the match after suffering a calf strain while fielding on the opening day. Pakistan were therefore forced to continue without one of their specialist batters.
The decision became a talking point again when Imam was seen testing his injured leg and practising his batting ahead of play on Day 4.
While his presence suggested that he may have been fit enough to bat if required, Broad took issue with the manner in which the practice was carried out rather than simply questioning whether Imam was capable of playing.
Broad’s criticism also comes against the backdrop of earlier allegations made by former Pakistan batter and chief selector Mohammad Wasim, who had questioned Imam’s injury-related issues in the past.
Wasim recalled an incident from 2022 involving Imam during a home Test and claimed that Pakistan’s physiotherapist had warned him about a potential injury-related development before an official announcement had been made.
“The physio had actually come to me and told me beforehand,” Wasim said during an online discussion with renowned Pakistan cricket historian Dr Nauman Niaz.
“The announcement hadn’t even been made yet, and the decision hadn’t even been made. I think the player hadn’t said anything either. He came and warned me that this was going to happen.”
According to Wasim, the situation unfolded as he had been told it would.
“And it happened exactly like that. Because of whatever discussions he’d had, he then said that this had happened in the past too, and coaches had complained about similar things,” Wasim added.
Those remarks have resurfaced amid the latest questions over Imam’s fitness. However, there has been no official suggestion from Pakistan’s team management that the batter fabricated his latest injury.
Imam’s latest setback has come during a difficult period for him with the bat as well. He scored 42 and 0 in the first Test against England in Leeds, which Pakistan lost.
Pakistan have now been forced to manage their batting resources carefully with Imam unavailable for most of the Lord’s Test. His decision to take part in batting practice on Day 4, despite being ruled out, has only brought greater attention to the circumstances surrounding his injury.
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