Aaqib Javed, the Director of High Performance at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has raised concerns regarding Imam-ul-Haq’s decision not to bat in either innings of the recent Test match against England at Lord’s. Javed indicated that Imam will need to undergo an inquiry to clarify the circumstances surrounding his injury, which prevented him from participating in the game.
Aaqib Questions Severity of Imam’s Injury
Aaqib Javed, speaking to Pakistani broadcaster Geo, expressed his dissatisfaction with Imam-ul-Haq’s decision regarding his injury. He raised concerns about whether the injury was significant enough to prevent Imam from batting. “The Imam injury is a big question mark and a deep disappointment,” Aaqib stated, as reported by Cricinfo.
We should have included an all-rounder, but, most importantly, we should have brought in Ubaid Shah, who bowls close to 140 kph. Because the other bowlers, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, and Khurram Shahzad, are all similarly paced, “I spoke to the captain and the coach and asked them to bring Ubaid into the side.
Aaqib said the changes were meant to send a strong message to the players and management. “Two Test matches have come and gone, and the team has not competed in any way,” Aaqib said. Aaqib also backed Mike Hesson, who has taken charge of the Test side, and said the PCB would support the new coach. It’s difficult to see us getting a result in one match, but people should see that we still have talent,” Aaqib said.
However, Imam did not bat in the match. He was later seen warming up with the team before play began on the fourth day, prompting further criticism from former England pacer Stuart Broad and Australia batter David Warner. “There is still one Test to go. The management had a pace all-rounder available, a second wicketkeeper, and a fast bowler in Ubaid Shah, but those decisions were not being made. No batter in our top seven bowls. One fast bowler changes the composition of your attack. I understand dropping Agha, who is out of form, but you should have played Ghazi Ghori instead of Rizwan as wicketkeeper. He admitted that expecting an immediate turnaround in the third Test would be difficult, but insisted that Pakistan still had enough talent to improve. “One man doesn’t run a team. A coach and captain run the team together. Mike Hesson has taken responsibility, and we’ll try to support him in every way. Let’s see how Babar and Mike work together.
