Shoaib's recovery amazes expert

Published April 20, 2004

LAHORE, April 19: Clinically, it was not possible to determine right now if Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar was really unfit on the third day of the final Test against India, says a medical expert.

" It is also not possible that a bowler who has back problem is fit the next day," orthopaedic Ashraf Nizami told Dawn on Monday when his comments were sought on the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision of appointing a medical commission to determine whether Shoaib Akhtar had faked the injury.

"No there is no such device which can tell that a person has been facing any pain in any part of his body in the past," Ashraf said. He was also amazed how Shoaib regained fitness from severe pain in a day.

"Such kind of pain takes weeks to be cured", he said. Shoaib did not come to the field on the third day of the Test citing back injury as reason. But on the fourth day, he went on to bat without any obvious signs of discomfort which triggered rumours the bowler was not really unfit.

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