Former Pakistan fast bowlers Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir have accused leg-spinner Shadab Khan of faking his injury in the defeat against South Africa on Friday night.
Pakistan lost their fourth match in a row at the ICC World Cup 2023 after going down by 1 wicket in a thrilling encounter in Chennai.
Vice-captain Shadab suffered an injury inside the first over of South Africa’s run chase at the Chidambaram Stadium and was unable to continue in the game.
How Shadab got injured vs SA
Shadab allegedly suffered a concussion while attempting a run-out, swooping in the circle and producing a diving throw that skimmed past the stumps.
But the athleticism of the move had a knock-on effect on the all-rounder, who hit the ground hard onto his right shoulder, with his head whipping down towards the rock-hard Chennai square.
It was unclear from replays whether Shadab’s head had struck the surface or whether he had suffered whiplash from the intense motion following his shoulder’s impact with the ground.
But it was immediately clear that the 25-year-old was suffering from the incident, as he lay completely still while waiting for medical attention.
Gul, Tanvir accused Shadab of 'running away'
The Pakistan all-rounder left the field of play after initial tests and was later ruled unable to continue.
But Gul and his former Pakistan teammate Sohail Tanvir didn't feel that Shadab's injury was serious enough to leave the field as he was seen cheering for his team from the dugout later in the match which Pakistan lost after failing to defend 271 against the Proteas at Chepauk.
Gul's take on Shadab's injury
“We don’t know what kind of injury he has sustained, but questions arise when you fall, claim to have a concussion, escape from the team, and go outside. The physio checks you, and then after a while, you come out. There, you chat with people and then leave.
"When the match gets tight, and you realize it is going in our favor, you sit outside in the dugout, cheering. It means you’ve made an excuse; you’ve saved yourself. So people will definitely question it,” Gul said on a Pakistani TV show.
“It was an important game and as a senior, you had to be there on the pitch. There are many examples when players have continued to play in spite of broken hands as they chose to fight for the sake of the team. I don't agree with Shadab. I don't think he had a serious injury,” he further added.
