Injury claims

[Richard Jenkins]

From the BBC
Shoaib injury investigated
Pakistan's cricket board could discipline Shoaib Akhtar if he is found to have faked a back injury.

Shoaib missed day three of the deciding Test against India in Rawalpindi but batted on the final day of the defeat.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan claimed some players had displayed a "carefree, unprofessional approach in Pakistan's second innings".

"I have decided to set up a medical inquiry committee to report on Shoaib Akhtar's injury," he said.

The make-up of the medical committee, to be headed by a senior orthopaedic consultant, will be announced later this week and will look into the circumstances of several unfit players.

Seamer Shabbir Ahmed (shin), Moin Khan (groin) and Abdul Razzaq (side strain) were all injured during the first Test in Multan, which India won by an innings and 52 runs

And pace bowler Umar Gul broke down with a back injury after his match-winning performance in the second match of the series, which Pakistan won by nine wickets.

Khan expects to interview any player believed to have been below par and will make a decision on any disciplinary measures after receiving the committee report.

He added: "I want to make it crystal clear that any player who is found incapable or unwilling to give 150% for team morale and national honour will have no place in the Pakistan team."

After captain Inzamam-ul-Haq raised doubts about the severity of his injury, Shoaib responded with surprise on Saturday.

"You need the whole body to be perfect when you bowl - it is different when you are batting," he said.

Khan singled out Asim Kamal for praise, saying the batsman "clearly demonstrated this will [to win] even in a desperate cause" during an unbeaten 60 in the second innings.


I've posted this here because I'm not an Indian or Pakistan fan and I didn't want to be accused of incitement.
I've got some opinions on this matter, which I'd like to put forward. I don't want to upset anybody, so if this does upset you, rather than replying, you can complain.

I feel very strongly that this type of episode can't help cricket in general (or Indian or Pakistani cricket )and that "rumours "of match fixing and betting scandals will now start to gather momentum, as this tour has been exciting and topsy turvy.
I really hope that these rumours die quickly and that any suggestion of "match fixing" is proved wrong.
Of course it's normal to be dissapointed at loosing, but looking for scapegoats helps nobody, and leads to darker accusations. Pakistan don't become "a bad team " because they lost to India,and India don't become "a good side" because they won, it's a question of differences and conditions, as well as reacting to situations at the moment.

Why would any player want to fake an injury?

Why does the media highlight this problem?

[honestbharani]

I don't know........I don't even know how docs will be able to say how much he was injured in the past, based on his present condition. I just hope everything is sorted out peacefully.

[Richard Jenkins]

me 2
I think this is really sad .

[P.K.]

The injury Lara allegedly feighened to avoid booing from Guyana crowd for first one day international is no less scandalous.

[honestbharani]

Dude.....he had a dislocated little finger and he played every Test with it and scored a quadruple century with it. He just took a break from the ODIs because you can manage better in ODIs without your best players than in Tests. This is not the first time he has played with a serious injury and done something special. Remember 99 and those 3 hundreds Vs Australia with a chipped bone in his right wrist....Remember his test series Vs India when he played with a dislocated elbow. Remember ICC champions trophy when he scored 100 with Jaundice to win the match..... Lara feigning injury would be like God telling a lie......