Family needed me, I’ll be back soon: Imran Farhat

Left-handed opener’s wife suffering from multiple sclerosis.

KARACHI:

Amid different speculations and allegations regarding the reason for Imran Farhat’s last-minute pull out from the Zimbabwe tour, The Express Tribune has learnt that the cricketer’s wife is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system, progressively diminishing the functionality of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. A cure has yet to be discovered for the disease, although advancements in the reduction of its effects have been made.

Farhat’s decision to skip the tour was fodder for various rumours including hints that the batsman opted out to pave way for HBL teammate Shaan Masood. Another buzz in the air insinuated that the team management decided not to take him on the tour as he was an unpopular choice.

However, a Test player and a close friend of Farhat revealed that the player was in a disturbed frame of mind because of his wife, who has been severely sick for more than three years and is confined to her bed.



“The truth about Farhat’s withdrawal from the squad is that he wants to spend time with his ailing wife and his young children,” the player, who requested anonymity, told The Express Tribune.

“His concentration has been wavering between cricket and his family for quite some time. It takes guts to continue playing international cricket despite going through such trauma and I respect him for his bravery.”

Needed to decide my priorities: Farhat

When contacted about the issue, Farhat confirmed that his wife was severely ill and he wanted to give time to his family.

“My wife is suffering from MS and it has started affecting her memory as well,” said Farhat. “I have a young family who need me right now. There are times when one needs to decide his priorities.”

The Lahore-based player has played 40 Tests and 58 One-day Internationals for Pakistan. However, his career has been turbulent at best.

He had registered scores of 30 and 43 in his last Test for Pakistan against hosts South Africa back in February.

“Zimbabwe is an easy tour and no player would like to miss such opportunities in order to cement their place for future series, but I did,” he added. “I’ve written about the problem to the Pakistan Cricket Board and it respects my decision.”

It should be mentioned here that the 31-year-old brought his sons to Karachi where he was representing his department HBL in the Ramazan Twenty20 tournaments.

The player recently was so frustrated that he requested the HBL management to drop him from the Advance Telecom T20 Cup final against PIA. However, skipper Younus Khan backed him to do well and included him in the final XI and he went on to score a dashing half-century to help HBL become champions.

“I’ll come back soon with a strong frame of mind because cricket is not only my passion but my profession as well. I need to earn in order to look after my family.

“I would request all the fans to pray for my ailing wife so that she can recover quickly.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2013.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.