Pakistan’s star all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, who is suffering from a knee injury will undergo another MRI scan after a medical report last week showed the condition of his knee to be unsatisfactory, making his English tour prospects bleak.
“I want to play cricket as soon as possible. This injury has not downhearted me,” said the batsman while talking to media.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) media manager Agha Akbar had announced in a press release that Hafeez had bone contusion/oedema in the right knee and there was also the minimal amount of fluid in the knee joint.
It has been learnt that PCB officials are pondering over the prospect of sending Hafeez abroad for medical treatment if he is unable to recover.
Earlier, Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq had named Hafeez in the 21-men list for the skill camp.
Hafeez picked up the knee injury during the Asia Cup T20 earlier this year. The 35-year-old, however, toured India for the ICC World T20 where he aggravated his condition and was left out in the matches against New Zealand and Australia.
The right-handed batsman has been exempted from the national side’s ongoing physical training programme at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul, Abbottabad.
Responding to criticism regarding injury Hafez says, “Only mentally sick people can think like this or talk about groupings in the team which is totally wrong. Have always played for Pakistan and I am a true patriot.”
“I have MRI reports to prove to everyone that my injury was a genuine one due to which I couldn’t play. People spreading baseless rumours should first look at those reports,” he said.
Hafeez made his international debut in April 2003 in a One-Day International (ODI) against Zimbabwe at Sharjah.
The Sargodha-born player has amassed 5,356 runs in ODI with an average run rate of 32.46.
He also skippered during Pakistan’s WT20 campaign in Sri Lanka in 2012.
Pakistan will rely heavily on Hafeez’s expertise on the tour of England. The two cricket giants will clash in four Tests, five ODIs, and a T20 contest in July.
