Concerns Arise Over Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman's Fitness for T20 World Cup
Fitness Issues of Key Players Under Scrutiny
The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) medical team has raised doubts regarding the fitness levels of senior players Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman at the time of their selection for the T20 World Cup squad.
These concerns were echoed by senior selector Aaqib Javed during a recent press conference, where he indicated that the board would look into the situation further.
A source affiliated with the PCB revealed that Dr. Javed Mughal, a consultant specializing in sports physiotherapy and medicine from the UK, who joined the PCB as the director of sports exercise and medicine in January, has voiced his worries after assessing both players post-World Cup.
The issue surfaced when Babar opted out of the National T20 Championship upon his return from the World Cup, citing hamstring discomfort, while Fakhar faced similar challenges.
According to the source, Babar's injury was found to be more severe than initially thought, and Fakhar has been battling the same issue for several months.
The national selection committee clarified that they included Babar and Fakhar in the World Cup lineup based on clearance from the team's physiotherapist, Cliffe Deacon.
There are allegations that Deacon has previously permitted players with minor injuries to participate due to his close ties with them.
Currently, Babar is undergoing rehabilitation at the national cricket academy under the guidance of the medical team and is anticipated to be fit for the Pakistan Super League, where he will lead Peshawar Zalmi. The PSL is set to commence on March 26.
Fakhar recently participated in a National T20 Cup match and announced on social media that although he was not at full fitness for the 50-over series in Bangladesh, he has now recovered to compete in the T20 event.
Both players missed the Bangladesh tour, where Pakistan suffered a 1-2 series defeat, but sources close to the selectors have indicated that Babar was already set to be dropped due to his poor performance in the World Cup, even before the injury revelations.