Hafeez has revealed he would have been fit to play in the World Cup but the management decided against risking a player with injury concerns. PHOTO: INP
All-rounder Muhammad Hafeez was sent back to Pakistan after scans revealed that the player would require at least three weeks to recover from his calf injury.
After the scans, a fitness report was made on Hafeez that sealed his fate and the think tank was forced to look elsewhere.
“The player would require at least three weeks to recover from his injury. At the same time, it is not guaranteed that he would remain a hundred per cent fit throughout the tournament after regaining fitness,” read an excerpt of Hafeez’s report.
Meanwhile, it has been learnt that once it was known that Hafeez would not be able to clear his reassessment in time for the big matches against India and West Indies, the management decided to look for another option.
“Hafeez was selected with a view that he would be able to clear his reassessment before the start of the World Cup,” a member of the selection committee told The Express Tribune. “Once that was out of the equation, the management was left with no choice but to look for an alternate option because the first two matches are important for the outcome of the group stages.”
Hafeez had to appear for an official reassessment of his bowling action on February 6 in Brisbane but could not do so because of the injury.
However, on his return, Hafeez claimed that he could have gotten fit in two weeks’ time.
According to the all-rounder, the touring selection committee – which includes skipper Misbahul Haq, head coach Waqar Younis, chief selector Moin Khan and team manager Naved Akram Cheema – took the decision of calling a replacement between themselves, without consulting him.
It should be recalled that Hafeez had complained of pain in his calf muscle during the second ODI against New Zealand and it was later decided to call Nasir Jamshed as his replacement.
“From what I have learnt in Australia and Pakistan from the medical panel, I would have recovered in two weeks’ time,” Hafeez said while speaking to the media at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. “I got injured on February 3 while our match against India is on February 15, so I would’ve regained my fitness. But the touring management called me and told me that they have asked for my replacement.”
Asked whether his consent was taken before finalising the matter and whether or not he spoke with the management about it, Hafeez replied that there was no need to talk on the matter as the decision was already taken and he will have to accept it.
The 34-year-old added that it is the dream of every player to play a World Cup but he could not do so this time around because of the injury.
“Such things happen in life. I had prepared myself physically, mentally and technically for the World Cup but unfortunately I had to return due to injury,” Hafeez stated, adding that he is sure that the management took the decision in Pakistan’s best interest.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2015.
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