Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam (PTI Photo/Sailendra Bhojak) The Pakistan cricket team has been hit by fresh controversy after questions were raised about the fitness of senior players Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman during the T20 World Cup selection process.According to a PTI report, the issue came to light following the post-tournament medical evaluations conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s medical committee. The concerns were voiced by Dr Javed Mughal, a UK specialist in sports physiotherapy and medicine who joined the board earlier this year as director of sports exercise and medicine.
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Ajit Agarkar is knocking on BCCI’s door asking for a huge extension | World CupChief selector Aaqib Javed had already mentioned the matter when he announced the ODI squad for the Bangladesh series where both Babar and Fakhar were left out. He confirmed that the council would review the circumstances surrounding their background checks.The situation escalated when it emerged that both players were still dealing with injury concerns after the World Cup. Babar later withdrew from the national T20 championship due to a hamstring problem, while Fakhar was also dealing with a similar issue.“When Babar was examined, it turned out that his injury was more serious than initially diagnosed, while Fakhar has been dealing with the same problem for months,” the source said.The report also stated that the national selectors had been informed by the team management that both players had been cleared to play by team physio Cliff Deacon. However, Deacon has previously faced criticism for allegedly endorsing players despite minor injuries, allegedly due to his close association with team members.Babar is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy under the PCB medical panel and is expected to regain fitness in time for the Pakistan Super League where he is expected to lead Peshawar Zalmi. The start of the tournament is scheduled for March 26.Meanwhile, Fakhar has already returned to action in the National T20 Cup and took to social media to suggest that although he was not fully fit during the Bangladesh ODI series, he is now in a position to feature in the ongoing competition.
