Imam-ul-Haq Injury Controversy Deepens as PCB Orders Inquiry
What began as a routine injury update has turned into a full-blown controversy for Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq, whose absence with a calf problem during the second Test against England at Lord’s is now the subject of a formal inquiry.
Imam pulled up while fielding on the opening day of the Lord’s Test on 27 August. The Pakistan Cricket Board quickly confirmed a low-grade strain to his left calf, backed by scans and managed, they stressed, under the supervision of the national side’s medical staff.
On paper, it sounded straightforward. On the field, it looked anything but.
The left-hander did not come out to bat in either innings of the match, even as Pakistan’s batting crumbled in a series already slipping away. Then came the images that lit the fuse: on the fourth day at Lord’s, Imam was spotted with heavy strapping on his calf, taking throwdowns in the nets.
For a team staring at consecutive heavy defeats, that sight was enough to ignite suspicion. Some former Pakistan players went public, accusing Imam of “faking” his injury and questioning his commitment at a time when the side needed every available batter.
The pressure finally told.
PCB selection committee member Aaqib Javed confirmed that the board will investigate the circumstances around Imam’s absence with the bat.
“An inquiry will be conducted into this matter,” Javed told Geo News, making it clear the board will not let the episode slide. He then voiced the question many in Pakistan have been asking since Lord’s.
“How is it possible that you failed to come out to bat in both innings after pulling up a muscle?” he said. “Injuries do occur, and we have seen instances in the past where players — even with casts — have gone out and made an effort. This situation is different. It is a matter of great concern, and action will be taken regarding it.”
The fallout has been swift. After Pakistan’s disastrous start to the series, with heavy defeats in the first two Tests, Imam was among seven players sent back home as the selectors moved to shake up a faltering squad.
Inside the camp, the mood around the opener is bleak.
A team insider, speaking to PTI, did not sugarcoat the situation. Imam, he said, is in “big trouble” and is expected to seek legal counsel before appearing in front of the PCB’s inquiry committee, which will probe the details of his calf injury and his non-appearance with the bat at Lord’s.
This is not the first time questions have hovered over Imam’s fitness record. His latest injury row has dragged back into focus comments from former chief selector Mohammad Wasim, who previously disclosed that then-team physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon had raised concerns about what he viewed as suspicious injury patterns involving the opener during Pakistan’s home Test series against England in 2022.
Those old doubts now sit uncomfortably alongside the events at Lord’s.
On the field, Imam’s contribution in this series was brief. He made 42 from 74 balls in the first innings of the opening Test against England, then fell for a five-ball duck in the second innings as Pakistan crashed to defeat by an innings and 103 runs.
The second Test brought no chance of redemption. Pakistan lost again, this time by 194 runs, with Imam watching from the dressing room as his teammates folded without him.
The series now moves to Birmingham for the third and final Test, starting 9 September. Pakistan arrive wounded, reshuffled, and under intense scrutiny. Imam will not be there — his next appearance is likely to be in front of an inquiry panel, not a new-ball attack.
