Curious case of Imam-ul-Haq: Why Pakistan batsman’s injury raises questions
Why would an international cricketer fake an injury?
This is a question that has suddenly become impossible to ignore when it comes to Imam-ul-Haq. Injuries are an inevitable part of professional sports, players spend years trying to avoid them, recover from them and get back on the field as quickly as possible. Yet Imam now finds himself at the center of an investigation into whether the injury that kept him out of the Lord’s trial was genuine.
And that’s what makes this episode so surprising.
Imam suffered a left calf injury while fielding on the opening day of the second Test against England at Lord’s. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that scans showed low calf strain and said he was being treated by the team’s medical staff.
But Imam does not bat in even a single innings Pakistan were defeated by 194 runs. Then, while still officially unavailable, he was seen throwing on the sideline with his calf strapped.
Suddenly, an ordinary injury story became something much bigger.
REAL INJURY OR SOMETHING MORE?
Imam-ul-Haq had calf problems on the tour of England. Courtesy: AFP
The first point to make is an important one: the PCB confirmed the calf strain. There is no proven evidence that the Imam invented the injury to the Lord.
The controversy stems from whether the injury was serious enough to prevent him from batting and whether his subsequent actions were consistent with his reported condition.
This difference became central to the PCB investigation.
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad was particularly scathing. Watching Imam train with his calf in a sling, Broad questioned why an injured player would choose to do rehabilitation exercises outdoors rather than work indoors with the medical team.
Široký effectively implied that the Imam’s appearance was a performance rather than a rehabilitation, and accused him of putting on an act.
It was a brutal rating – and one that carried weight because Broad knows exactly what it means to play through the physical demands of Test cricket.
But Broad’s opinion is not a medical verdict.
Even more unpleasant questions come from the imam’s history.
WHY DID THE PAST SUDDENLY COME BACK?
Imam-ul-Haq is one of the 7 cricketers to be sent back home from England. Courtesy: AFP
Former Pakistan chief selector Mohammad Wasim claimed Imam’s injury concerns were already there for the 2022 Test against England in Multan.
Wasim claimed that former Pakistan physio Cliffe Deacon had warned him before this test that the imam could fake an injury. Wasim said there was a subsequent incident in which the imam reported a hamstring problem.
Again, this is an assertion, not a proof.
But the timing of Wasim’s comments made Lord’s episode that much harder to ignore.
And then there’s the 2025 controversy.
Reported PCB inquiry on an incident during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand he reportedly concluded that there was no medical basis for the imam to be declared unavailable for the ODI. The report claimed officials believed he had fabricated, exaggerated or misrepresented symptoms and tried to make himself unavailable.
The most bizarre detail involved his big toe. According to reports, the dark mark, which the imam presented as an injury, reportedly disappeared after being cleaned by medical personnel, leading investigators to conclude that it was ink or a mark rather than a natural blood mark. The imam denied the allegations. The inquiry is said to have recommended a ban across formats.
However, the recommendation did not lead to a ban on the imam.
And that’s why Lord’s reopened an old wound.
BUT WHY WOULD A CRICKET PLAYER BE INJURED?
Imam-ul-Haq has been involved in controversies before. Courtesy: Reuters
This is perhaps the strangest part of the whole saga.
Why would a player intentionally make themselves unavailable?
The international cricketer has been trying to get a place in the playing XI for years. Missing a Test means missing runs, opportunities, bonuses, selection momentum and potentially a place in the next match.
For a batsman, a Test exit is hardly an obvious advantage.
A player can withdraw for any number of legitimate reasons – pain, fear of aggravating an injury, loss of confidence, tactical decisions or genuine health concerns. But intentionally fabricating an injury would be quite another.
It would mean risking something far more valuable than a single test: trust.
And once trust between the player, medical team, selectors and board is gone, it can be extremely difficult to rebuild.
This is why the current PCB investigation matters so much.
The board isn’t just trying to find out if the Imam had a calf problem. He tries to find out if the problem was represented honestly and if his actions were compatible with being available to the bats.
SERIOUS PROBLEMS IF ALLEGATIONS PROVE
If found guilty, Imam-ul-Haq could face punishment from the PCB. Courtesy: AP
Imam has already been sent home from England as Pakistan overhauled their squad after their disastrous 2-0 series defeat. Seven players, including Imam, were sent back as part of extensive changes ahead of the third Test.
But perhaps the biggest problem awaits him now in Pakistan.
A team member said it The imam is “in great trouble” and may seek legal counsel before appearing before the PCB inquiry committee.
This does not mean that he will be punished. Nor does it mean that the Lord’s injury was fake.
However, if the investigation proves that the injury was deliberately fabricated or exaggerated to avoid playing, the consequences could be serious. A disciplinary case, suspension or even ban could be considered, especially as investigators would inevitably be looking into previous injury disputes alongside Pan’s incident.
That’s what makes this case so unusual.
Calf tension itself is nothing out of the ordinary. A player missing a test for one is nothing new.
But when questions about earlier injuries resurface, when a former coach alleges a pattern, when a former England great publicly calls the latest episode an act, and when the PCB launches a formal investigation, the story changes completely.
For Imam-ul-Haq, the challenge is no longer just to prove that his calf hurts.
Proves the injury was exactly what he said it was.
And if the PCB concludes that he deliberately falsified it, the question of why he did so may be secondary.
The much bigger question will be whether Pakistan cricket can trust him again.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
04 Sep 2026 08:00 IST