Pakistan star batter was given prohibited substance ahead of T20 World Cup Semifinals: PCB doctor
Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan (Image Source: Twitter)
Pakistan was having a brilliant time in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Their winning wagon was rolling over any team coming in their way. But their winning spree was halted in the semifinal clash against Australia.
Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter Rizwan was a major contributor to the team’s formidable performance. He scored 281 runs in six innings and gave some strong starts to the team while opening the batting for them. He played a brilliant knock in the semifinal clash, scoring 67 runs off 52 deliveries. But his efforts ended in a losing cause as Australia emerged victorious in the match by five wickets.
However, it is not the on-field performance that has brought Rizwan into the headlines now. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) doctor Najeebullah Soomro has made a big revelation about Rizwan. He stated that the right-handed batter was given a prohibited substance ahead of Pakistan’s semifinal match against Australia in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Notably, Rizwan was suffering from a severe chest infection during the tournament and was also admitted to the ICU before the match. During an interview with Rizwan, Dr. Soomro revealed that he had no other option besides injecting the prohibited substance into Rizwan.
“You were unable to breathe and I have to get permission from the governing body of international cricket to inject that medicine to help you recover. Usually, it is prohibited for the athletes but since there was no other option available, we have to take permission from the governing body of cricket to inject that medicine,”- Dr. Soomro said during the interview.
Saheer Sainalabdeen, Specialist Pulmonologist at Medeor Hospital was treating Rizwan. He stated his astonishment at how quickly the wicketkeeper recovered. He said- “Rizwan had a strong desire to play for his nation in the crucial knockout match. He was strong, determined and confident. I am astonished at the pace he had recovered. His pain at the time of admission was 10/10. So, we subjected him for a detailed evaluation to diagnose the condition,”- he stated.
