Pakistan opener Saim Ayub will travel to London for treatment for his broken ankle. The PCB, which had earlier said it would keep the team and fly back to Pakistan at the end of the Newlands Test match, decided to send him to London for specialist treatment immediately. He will be accompanied by Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahood, who is currently with the team in Cape Town.
In the past, the PCB has received criticism for the way player injuries have been handled and is looking to draw a line under that chapter. In 2022, Shaheen Afridi, who also suffered an injury on the field, initially traveled with the team before eventually being sent to London, although not before receiving increasing criticism for the decision not to proceed with immediate treatment.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the quality of care he believed Ayub would receive, saying he would be treated at the “best hospital in the world”.
“Saim Ayub will be examined by England Sports Orthopedic Doctors as the PCB has made an immediate appointment. All resources will be utilized for his treatment.”
Ayub had to be stretchered off the field in just the seventh over of the match, when Ryan Rickelton managed a delivery through the slips, sending Ayub on a chase to third place alongside Aamer Jamal. Jamal brought it back in while Ayub was set to be the relief fielder, but lost his balance and sprained his ankle. He fell immediately and appeared in distress holding his lower leg as the physio rushed over.
Despite prolonged treatment outside the border line, Ayub was unable to put any weight on his right ankle and appeared to be crying when he was placed on a stretcher and taken out. He was later seen with crutches in the medical trunk. The PCB later said he would be ruled out for six weeks, putting him in a race against time to be fit for the Champions Trophy, which starts on February 19.
