Re: Pakistan?s tour to India finalised/Tendulkar Doubtful
Shoaib saga takes fresh twist
Cricinfo staff
February 12, 2005
Shoaib Akhtar has scarcely been able to stay out of the limelight for a day in the lead-up to Pakistan’s forthcoming tour of India. Newspapers have reported that he failed to report to the doctor appointed by the board to assess his fitness. In the absence of their foreign support staff, who are on holiday, the Pakistan Cricket Board appointed Meesaq Rizwi, a sports physician, to look into Shoaib’s fitness.
Rizwi had asked Mohammed Sami, Shabbir Ahmed and Mohammad Khalil, apart from Shoaib, to report for fitness tests. But Shoaib failed to report, and this could have spurred the latest reaction of the board. Saleem Altaf, the director of cricket operations, has instructed Shoaib to take part in the ongoing Patron’s Trophy to prove his fitness.
The News reports that Altaf told Shoaib he had to play for his team, KRL, in the next round of four-day Patron’s Trophy matches that begins on February 14, in order to be eligible for selection for Pakistan’s forthcoming tour of India. Interestingly Shoaib was called back from Australia in order to give him time to rest a troublesome hamstring and be fit in time for the Indian series.
On return to Pakistan Shoaib was assessed by Grant Compton, the Pakistan team’s physiotherapist, and a two-week rest was prescribed. Following this examination Compton left Pakistan on vacation. “Compton outlined a rehabilitation programme to Shoaib to recover from his hamstring strain and then left for South Africa abruptly. But even before leaving he was working with Shoaib as it was confirmed he had a hamstring problem that needed two-week recovery period,” a board source is quoted as saying. “It is in this background that Altaf’s directives to Shoaib come as a total surprise. How does he expect Shoaib to resume playing in the next round of Patrons Trophy to prove his fitness when he [Shoaib] has been told he required two weeks period to recover from the hamstring.”
link: http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2005/FEB/180979_PAK_12FEB2005.html
They had the same security concerns over Karachi, therefore no Test was given to the city. Why can’t they take a valid concern over Ahmedabad??? Bunch of arrogant idiots!!!
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