Pakistan Cricket Board high-performance director Aaqib Javed has criticised batter Imam-ul-Haq for failing to bat in either innings of the second Test against England at Lord’s.
Imam was ruled out after suffering a low-grade tear in his left calf, but Aaqib questioned whether the injury should have prevented him from batting.
“The Imam injury is a big question mark, and a deep disappointment,” Aaqib said.
“How is it possible that a pulled muscle ruled you out of batting in both innings? He should have tried and fought. He’ll have to face an inquiry; I can’t say he faked it, but a muscle pull like that cannot stop you from batting altogether.”
The PCB announced Imam’s injury shortly before the start of the second day’s play, saying his participation for the remainder of the match would depend on medical advice.
He did not take part in the match for the next two days before emerging to warm up with the team on the fourth morning. Former England paceman Stuart Broad criticised the move during the broadcast, describing it as “all for show”, while former Australia batter David Warner also questioned it on social media.
Imam was among seven players recalled home after Pakistan’s heavy defeat at Lord’s left them 2-0 down in the three-Test series.
The sweeping changes also saw head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul sent home. Aaqib said the moves were intended to send a message to the players while criticising the team’s management for its selection decisions.
“Two Test matches have come and gone and the team has not competed in any way,” he said.
Aaqib said Pakistan had failed to use available options, including pace all-rounder, a second wicketkeeper and fast bowler Ubaid Shah.
“No batter in our top seven bowls. We should have included an allrounder, but most importantly, get in Ubaid Shah, who bowls close to 140kph. One fast bowler changes the composition of your attack.”
He also questioned the decision to use Mohammad Rizwan as wicketkeeper instead of Ghazi Ghori and said out-of-form all-rounder Salman Agha could have been dropped.
“Someone had to take action. The world is laughing at us because we can’t even compete,” Aaqib said.
The changes have added to scrutiny of Aaqib himself, who has held senior selection and high-performance responsibilities for two years during a period of frequent coaching changes.
Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten have both left their coaching positions, while Aaqib briefly combined his administrative responsibilities with a coaching role. Misbah-ul-Haq has also resigned from the selection panel following the latest reshuffle.
Aaqib said he had no intention of stepping down and sought to separate the selection of the original touring squad from the team’s subsequent performances.
“When we select the team as coach or captain and make a squad, we’re responsible for that squad. But once they go on tour, we cannot do anything about the match-to-match combination,” he said.
“Your captain, head coach and management have some responsibilities.”
Aaqib backed Mike Hesson, who is taking charge of the Test side while continuing as Pakistan’s white-ball coach, but acknowledged that the changes were unlikely to produce an immediate turnaround.
“One man doesn’t run a team. A coach and captain run the team concurrently,” he said.
“It’s difficult to see us getting a result in one match, but people should see we still have talent.”
The third Test begins at Edgbaston on September 9.
