'Can't say he faked it, but.....': PCB director Aaqib Javed wants inquiry into Imam-ul-Haq's injury at Lord's

Aaqib Javed has demanded a formal inquiry into Imam-ul-Haq's calf injury after he failed to bat in either innings at Lord's.

The PCB director defended sending seven players home, blaming Pakistan's management for picking a flawed playing combination.

Misbah-ul-Haq has already quit the selection panel, though Aaqib insists he has no plans to follow him out.

PCB to investigate Imam-ul-Haq's lord's injury: Aaqib Javed promises strict action over opener missing both innings

Pakistan cricket's meltdown just got another twist as PCB director of high performance Aaqib Javed has come out swinging at Imam-ul-Haq for sitting out both innings of the Lord's Test.

Speaking to Pakistani broadcaster Geo, Aaqib didn't mince words about how let down he felt. He said he's "deeply disappointed" in Imam and made clear the player would be facing questions over his call to sit out; a decision put down to a low-grade tear in his left calf. A formal inquiry will be initiated to find out exactly what happened.

Imam was among the seven players the PCB recalled home following Pakistan's 194-run defeat in the second Test, and his decision to sit out drew plenty of criticism along the way.

Just minutes before play resumed on day two, the board issued a statement confirming the calf tear, adding that whether he'd feature again in the match would depend on medical advice. He didn't take any further part over the next two days, though he was seen warming up with the squad on the fourth morning.

"The Imam injury is a big question mark, and a deep disappointment," Aaqib said. "Players in the past used to get injuries, but they used to put on casts and still tried [to play]. We'll take action against this.

"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."

Aaqib defends mass player recall, slams team selection

Imam and six other players joined him on the flight home, along with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, as the PCB tore up much of its touring party. Aaqib explained the thinking behind such a drastic call, saying it was meant to send a clear message to those recalled, while also pointing a finger squarely at team management for what he called poor selection choices.

"Two Test matches have come and gone, and the team has not competed in any way," he said, pointing out that faster options like Ubaid Shah were left out despite being available. "They [the management] had a pace allrounder available, a second wicketkeeper, a fast bowler in Ubaid Shah. But those decisions were not being made."

He revealed he'd personally pushed captain Babar Azam and the coaching staff to include Ubaid, arguing the pace attack lacked variety.

"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," he said, also questioning the choice to stick with Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps over Ghazi Ghori.

"Someone had to take action. The world is laughing at us because we can't even compete. One fast bowler changes the composition of your attack. I understand dropping [Salman] Agha, who's out of form, but you should have played Ghazi Ghori instead of [Mohammad] Rizwan [as the wicketkeeper]," he said.

"Someone had to take action. The world is laughing at us because we can't even compete. The message we're sending to the recalled players is that you have to raise your game on important tours and compete, and we should be able to see some effort."

Fallout continues as Misbah resigns from selection panel

The criticism hasn't just been aimed downward, though, as Aaqib himself hasn't escaped scrutiny. He's held his post for two years now, a stretch that's seen coaches like Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten come and go, and he briefly juggled a coaching role alongside his selection duties too.

He was also part of the group that appointed Sarfaraz just three months back, only to see him removed after a mere six Tests in charge. Misbah-ul-Haq, meanwhile, has already resigned from the selection committee in the wake of the squad shake-up.

Aaqib, however, was firm that he isn't following Misbah's lead, drawing a clear line between the original squad selection and the team's subsequent form collapse.

"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," Aaqib said.

"No one doubted these players' performances when selected. But when players are completely out of form, and you're not competing at all, then we needed to make a decision. When you're not making the right decisions despite getting messages conveyed to you to play the right combination [that's a problem]. Your captain, head coach and management have some responsibilities."

Public accusations rarely fix broken systems

There's something deeply uncomfortable about a board director publicly casting doubt on a player's injury without offering any real evidence beyond suspicion. Even hedged with "I can't say he faked it," the accusation lands exactly where it was aimed, and that's a dangerous way for any administrator to operate.

If the PCB believes something's off, that's what medical panels and internal inquiries exist for, not television interviews. What's more telling here is Aaqib's own position: he's been central to the very decisions he's now criticising from a distance, including Sarfaraz's short-lived coaching stint.

Blaming a player's fitness while dodging accountability for having appointed the management now under fire doesn't inspire much confidence. Pakistan cricket doesn't need more finger-pointing from the top; it needs a board willing to look honestly at its own repeated missteps.

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