Mohammad Rizwan was given a prohibited substance ahead of T20 WC semi-final against Australia: PCB doctor

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan might find himself in hot waters as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) doctor Najeebullah Soomro has made a sensational revelation. He stated that the right-handed batter was given a prohibited substance during last year’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Notably, Rizwan was suffering from severe chest infection in the tournament and was even admitted in the ICU before the all-important semi-final against Australia.

Astonishingly, however, Rizwan just didn’t recover in time but also played a remarkable knock in the knock-out game. He gave Aussie bowlers a tough time and scored 67 off 52 deliveries. Unfortunately for Pakistan, his efforts went in vain as Australia walked away with a five-wicket triumph. Meanwhile, Doctor Soomro has now revealed that he had no options besides injecting that prohibited substance in Rizwan.

Mohammad Rizwan had a strong desire to play for his nation in the crucial knockout match

He also had to take ICC’s permission for the same. “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.