Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq is expected to seek legal counsel to contest his case in front of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s urgent inquiry looking into the calf injury he seemingly suffered during the second Test against England. Imam didn’t bat in either of Pakistan’s innings after picking up the issue while fielding in England’s first, with PCB saying he had suffered a ‘tear’ and reports suggesting he needed rest for ten days.
On the fourth day of the Test, however, Imam was seen with a patch on his calf, awkwardly taking throwdowns, before being asked to retreat to the dressing room. Several former cricketers felt it was not authentic and that Imam was possibly ‘faking’ the injury. He was called back to Pakistan after being released from
the squad alongside six other players, and touched down earlier on Tuesday.
“Imam is in big trouble, and he is also likely to seek legal counsel when he has to appear to face an inquiry committee of the Board which will look into his calf muscle injury which didn’t allow him to bat in both innings of the second Test,” PTI quoted an insider as saying.
The opener got into more troubled waters when former Pakistan chief selector Muhammad Wasim revealed that team physio Cliffe Deacon had raised concerns about his injury patterns during the 2022 Test series against England.
The final nail in the coffin was a media report that a PCB committee in 2025 had reportedly concluded that Imam had falsely claimed a toe injury during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand and recommended the board ban him from all formats.
Meanwhile, sacked Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and four players — Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal and Khurram Shahzad — will remain in England for a few more days despite being dropped for the third and final Test against England in Birmingham from September 9 to 13.
The PCB made major changes after Pakistan suffered heavy defeats in the first two Tests, losing by an innings and 103 runs and 194 runs.
