In the wake of the controversy surrounding Imam-ul-Haq’s latest injury, sustained during the second Test against England, a fresh report in Pakistani media has claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had considered banning him from international cricket a year ago following a fake-injury probe.
Imam has come under scrutiny over the calf injury he sustained on Day 1 of the second Test at Lord’s after he was spotted practising his batting ahead of Day 4 with tape around his left calf. Former England pacer Stuart Broad and Australia great David Warner subsequentlyaccused him of putting on an act.
According to a report in Geo News, the latest controversy has brought renewed attention to an incident from Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand in March 2025, when a PCB inquiry committee reportedly found Imam responsible for allegedly faking an injury during the series.
Deep Dive
An X-ray reportedly showed no evidence
An X-ray reportedly showed no evidence of a fracture or other injury, but Imam continued to complain of severe pain and discolouration. He was also advised against walking, butound 500 metres to attend an iftar gathering
More strikingly, the inquiry report reportedly stated that when the team doctor cleaned Imam’s toe with chemically treated paper, the alleged black mark disappeared. The report described it as “not a natural blood mark but ink or marker”.
The allegations did not end there. Team officials reportedly told the inquiry committee that Imam limped while in front of medical staff but walked normally when they were not around.
Imam denied the allegations, but the PCB committee
Imam denied the allegations, but the PCB committee reportedly found his explanation inconsistent with the medical evidence and other findings.
declare Imam unfit for the ODI series in New Zealand. It also accused him of “fabricating, exaggerating or misrepresenting symptoms and misleading medical staff” and of “deliberately attempting to make himself unavailable for the opening ODI”
The committee reportedly recommended that Imam be banned from representing Pakistan across all formats and at all levels.
The 2025 incident was not the only occasion
The 2025 incident was not the only occasion on which questions were raised over Imam’s fitness. Earlier last week, former Pakistan selector Mohammad Wasim accused the batter of a similar incident during a home series in 2022.
The latest report concludes by suggesting that the PCB is expected to examine Imam’s current injury in the context of those previous incidents.
pakistan cricket teamImam-ul-Haq
Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.
Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.
See Less
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
