Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) doctor Najeebullah Soomro revealed that wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan was injected with a prohibited substance during last year’s T20 World Cup.
Rizwan was suffering from a severe chest infection during the tournament and was admitted in the ICU before the semi-final against Australia.
“You were unable to breathe and I have to get permission from the ICC to inject that medicine to help you recover. Usually, it is prohibited for the athletes but since there was no other option available, we have to take permission from the ICC to inject that medicine,” Dr. Soomro said while conducting an interview with Rizwan.
Specialist Pulmonologist at Medeor Hospital, Saheer Sainalabdeen treated Rizwan and was a strong catalyst and he was astonished with the pace that the wicketkeeper recovered.
“Rizwan had a strong desire to play for his nation in the crucial knockout match. He was strong, determined, and confident. I am astonished at the pace he had recovered. His pain at the time of admission was 10/10. So, we subjected him for a detailed evaluation to diagnose the condition,” he stated.
Saheer further stated that the infection Rizwan had usually takes around a week to get cured. Hence, he wasn’t expected to feature in the semi-final.
“Esophageal spasms can feel like sudden and severe chest pain that lasts for a few minutes to hours. Rizwan had a severe infection. Recovery and gaining fitness before the semifinal seemed unrealistic. It would have normally taken 5-7 days for anybody to recover,” Saheer added.
