Malik twists ankle, but recovers to play full match

Multan Sultans captain incurs minor injury while entering stadium for launch match

KARACHI: Pakistan veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik twisted his ankle following a push from some fans while entering the Multan Cricket Stadium for the Multan Sultans exhibition match on Sunday, but recovered from the injury to play the entire match.

Malik, who was the captain of one of the two teams playing in the Multan Sultan’s launching match, was entering the stadium when fans gathered around him and he received a push from the back. In the resulting mayhem, Shoaib twisted his ankle, but was fit to play after receiving first aid.

The security manager Major (retd) Ehsan Niazi, who was taking Malik inside the stadium, told The Express Tribune that: “We got off the car and started walking towards the entrance but the crowd surrounded him and wanted to meet him. In this struggle, he got a push from the back and twisted his ankle.”

Niazi revealed that Multan Sultans Director of Cricket Operations Wasim Akram and his wife Shaniera were also with him and Malik, but they entered the stadium unharmed.

“Wasim and his wife were also with us, but they were in the front so they got in safely. After the police saw everything, they fired an aerial gun shot outside the stadium to control the crowd,” he said.

He continued by saying explaining what happened next. “We immediately picked him [Malik] up and took him to the dressing room where he was provided with first aid and was declared fit to play. He had incurred a minor injury and at first, he did complain about the pain, but then was fit and went to play the whole match,” said Niazi.

Not a serious injury: Multan official

A Multan Sultan official, when contacted by The Express Tribune, clarified that Malik is alright and didn’t hurt himself badly. “If he had fell and suffered a major knee injury, then he wouldn’t have played the match. However, he did play until the end and I took him to the hotel afterwards. He was completely fit,” the official said.

When asked who was responsible for the incident, the official refused to put the blame on anyone.

“There is not a single person to be blamed,” the official said. “There was just some problem in the briefing for the ground staff and the police. They were not able to handle the crowd at the entrance at first, but then they handled everything quite well.”