PAK vs SA: We Knew The Risks For Fakhar Zaman's Return - Najeeb Soomro

Fakhar Zaman, a batsman for Pakistan, will not play in his team’s forthcoming T20 World Cup match against South Africa at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on November 3. It’s also uncertain whether he will play in the remaining games of the competition.

Zaman, who was initially on the reserve list, was added to the starting lineup moments before the competition began. He played against the Netherlands, although it’s possible that doing so made his knee ailment worse.

Najeeb Soomro, Pakistan team doctor, and chief medical officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), stated that Zaman will miss the game against the Proteas. In a press conference in Sydney, he said:

“We know that Fakhar suffered a knee injury in the Asia Cup about 7 weeks ago; he has been tremendously brave, resilient, and has fought extremely hard to return to the team; he had rigorous rehabilitation and then made his way back into the team.”

“Obviously, it takes time for any knee injury to heal completely. Fakhar and the team knew the risks of entering the event, so we got him in. You saw how he fared in the previous game,” Najeeb Soomro said.

“Unfortunately, he experienced a twist in his ankle, which worsened his injuries. We had scans done on him and found no new injuries. He does not, however, feel 100 %,” Najeeb Soomro added.

We were aware of the risks related to his return: PCB’s team doctor about Fakhar Zaman

When asked if Fakhar Zaman was pushed into the lineup for the marquee T20 match, Soomro responded that the batter put in a lot of effort and passed all tests before being added to the team.

He added: “We knew the risks for his return. Obviously, he is an important player for the team, the medical staff, the player, and team management was aware of that and we decided to bring him back, in any sport you take risks, sometimes the risks pay off, and sometimes they don’t.”

“He was extremely brave and we worked hard to bring him back in, it is unfortunate that sometimes you have a bit of a reaction to something.”