Former Pakistan pacer Umar Gul voiced his doubts regarding Shadab Khan's injury during the ICC World Cup 2023 game against South Africa in Chennai
In a tense contest on Friday, South Africa secured an exciting one-wicket triumph over the Men in Green.
An incident occurred in the second innings of the game when Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan sustained a head injury while fielding a ground ball. He briefly exited the field for medical evaluation but subsequently reentered.
However, he was ultimately substituted by Usama Mir due to a concussion.
Speaking on a local sports channel, Umar Gul opined that Shadab Khan saved himself and made an excuse.
“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 favour, 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.
“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.
Shadab's substitute, Usama Mir, delivered a great performance by taking two wickets, one of which was the well-set batter Aiden Markram, who seemed firm in his effort to lead South Africa to victory.
Pakistan's upcoming World Cup match is scheduled against Bangladesh in Kolkata on Tuesday (October 31)
- Shadab Khan