PCB medical panel raises concerns over Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman fitness for T20 World Cup

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Pakistan Cricket Board officials are reviewing whether Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman were fully fit when selected for the T20 World Cup squad. Members of the PCB medical panel suspect both players carried hamstring problems into the tournament.

The concerns surfaced more clearly after the World Cup, when both players reported similar issues soon after returning.

Aaqib Javed raised the same fitness doubts at a media conference last week. Aaqib Javed said the board would investigate the matter. Sources said the case centres on medical clearances given before the squad was finalised. The review is also looking at how injuries were assessed during that period.

PCB medical panel reviews Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman fitness clearance

A source close to the board said Dr Javed Mughal flagged concerns after post-World Cup checks. Dr Javed Mughal is a UK-based consultant in sports physiotherapy and medicine. Dr Javed Mughal joined the PCB medical panel in January. Dr Javed Mughal serves as director of sports exercise and medicine.

The issue became public after Babar refused to play in the National T20 Championship. Babar cited hamstring irritation after returning from the World Cup. Fakhar also faced similar hamstring complaints at the same time. The source said both cases raised questions about earlier medical evaluations and player readiness.

When doctors examined Babar, the injury proved worse than first diagnosed, the source said. The source added that Fakhar has been battling the same problem for months. These findings strengthened internal doubts about whether both players should have travelled. The board is now weighing how such cases were managed.

Selection committee cites Cliffe Deacon clearance for Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman

The source said the national selection committee pointed to clearance from Cliffe Deacon. Cliffe Deacon is the Pakistan team physiotherapist. The committee told the medical panel that this clearance supported both selections. The dispute has focused on the process used to decide players were fit enough.

Allegations also suggest Deacon has earlier let players compete with niggling injuries. Those claims link the decisions to Deacon’s close relationships with players. PCB sources did not detail any formal findings on these allegations. However, the concerns have added pressure for a clear review of medical oversight.

Babar Azam rehab and Fakhar Zaman return amid Pakistan Super League plans

Babar is rehabilitating at the national cricket academy under the medical panel’s supervision. Officials expect Babar to be cleared for the Pakistan Super League. Babar will captain Pehsawar Zalmi in the tournament. The PSL starts from March 26, according to the schedule shared within the board.

Fakhar recently played a match in the National T20 Cup. On Tuesday, Fakhar posted on social media about fitness progress. Fakhar said, "while he was not fully fit for the 50-over series in Bangladesh, he has now recovered to play in the T20 event.\" The update followed weeks of injury discussion.

Both players missed the Bangladesh tour, where Pakistan lost 1-2. Sources close to selectors said another decision had already been taken on Babar. The sources said selectors planned to drop Babar over poor World Cup form. That choice came even before the injury concerns became widely known.

With inputs from PTI