Stuart Broad takes aim at Imam-ul-Haq over injury display at Lord's

LONDON: Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq came under criticism after he did not bat in either innings of the second Test against England at Lord's on Sunday.

Imam had been absent from the field after sustaining a calf injury and subsequently did not feature in Pakistan’s batting line-up during their daunting fourth-innings run chase.

His absence came under further scrutiny as Pakistan’s batting collapsed, with the visitors bowled out for 194 in 50.5 overs to suffer a heavy defeat against England.

Middle-order batter Saud Shakeel led Pakistan’s resistance with a fighting 97, but the left-hander was unable to prevent his side from succumbing to England’s bowling attack.

During the pre-match analysis on day four of the second Test, former England fast bowler Stuart Broad questioned the seriousness of Imam’s injury concerns.

Broad suggested that Imam’s decision to appear in shorts with medical tape around his leg and walk with a limp was unnecessary if the injury was genuine.

The former England pacer argued that Imam could have carried out his rehabilitation privately rather than making the injury so visible during training.

"That's all for show. He's had a bit of stick from the media, maybe teammates, whatever. You can do that in an indoor school without anyone seeing. You don't have to wear shorts and a bit of tape and hobble around like that. I'm sorry, I'm not that impressed with that," Broad said.

Broad was not the only one to question Imam’s actions, as fans also took to social media to react to a training video of the Pakistan opener ahead of day four at Lord’s.

In the video, Imam appeared to be batting in shorts and black goggles, with medical tape wrapped around his calf.

One cricket fan criticised the batter’s actions and compared them with players who have continued to bat despite suffering serious injuries.

"I've seen guys bat with broken arms, broken toes, sprained backs. Never seen someone come out to practice just to show he's injured, then not bat anyway. How pathetic can you be?" the fan questioned.

Another fan also backed Broad’s remarks, saying the former England pacer had raised a valid point about Imam’s demeanour without questioning the legitimacy of his injury.

"Stuart Broad’s observation about Imam’s behaviour is spot on. He’s not questioning the injury or raising doubts; he’s simply highlighting a valid point about Imam’s individual demeanour," he wrote.

Another fan also criticised Imam-ul-Haq while reacting to Stuart Broad’s comments, suggesting that the former England pacer had come close to questioning the legitimacy of the Pakistan opener’s injury.

"MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT FOR PAKISTAN. Oh my god! Stuard Broad is not holding back on Imam-ul-Haq. Blud was almost close to calling Imam’s purported injury a “sham” to avoid getting exposed in front of English bowlers," another fan wrote.

A fan drew comparisons between Imam-ul-Haq’s decision not to bat despite his calf injury and instances last year when England-based Test players Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes batted despite playing through serious injuries.

"Last year in England, Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes walked out to bat with a broken toe and a dislocated shoulder. Here, Imam-ul-Haq has not walked out to bat with a calf strain. Unbelievable stuff," fan wrote.