Azhar Ali not returning to the pitch anytime soon

[Savak]

Azhar Ali not returning to the pitch anytime soon

Opener Azhar Ali will not be rushing to make a comeback from the knee injury which ruled him out of the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Azhar, who wants to get match practice in domestic games before returning to the international fold, will be consulting Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) medical commission before entering the field again.

Azhar incurred a knee injury during practice in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium before the Sri Lanka series in the UAE.

In the absence of veterans Younus Khan and Misbahul Haq, Azhar was fielded against Sri Lanka in the two-match Test series. However, even in his presence, Pakistan faced first whitewash in the Emirates at the hands of the Islanders.

Azhar then went to England after being rested for the ODIs to receive treatment for his knee. He returned to the country a couple of nights ago and sources are claiming that he hasn’t been able to recuperate completely.

To this end, Azhar was suggested to spend some time practicing in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) before returning to the national team.

Moreover, he will be consulting PCB’s medical commission before becoming a part of the domestic tournaments. The commission will look at his progress on the knee injury and then allow his to commence since rushing back can aggravate the problem.

Azhar initially injured his knee during a 2015 series in the UAE, which has been a source of problem for the right-handed batsman since then.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/11/21/azhar-not-returning-to-the-pitch-anytime-soon/

 

[shah_1]

He should take his time

We need him more in Test cricket than ODIs

 

[Khan12]

No need to rush. He should only play in Tests.

 

[hadi123]

If that's the case, I guess he can miss the ODI series against NZ too. However, he is an absolute must for the England tour

 

[Hasan123]

Looks like he'll miss the NZ tour and save himself for the England test tour.

 

[Syed1]

Should retire from LOI and only focus on tests. We tend to forget but Azhar is "officially" 33 years old... and actually might be a bit older than that. Injuries will be part and parcel of his game from here on out specially since he seems to be someone with a dodgy knee (this is his second knee injury in the matter of a year or so I believe). Most cricketers (excluding a certain cricketer) enter the twilight of their careers when they hit the mid-30s. We can expect Azhar to play a max of 3-4 years from now. It would be shorter if he continues playing ODIs.

Besides we desperately need a fit and firing Azhar in tests, and not so much in ODIs. Infact in ODIs he is the exact opposite of what we need.

 

[CadPakFan]

Should retire from LOI and only focus on tests. We tend to forget but Azhar is "officially" 33 years old... and actually might be a bit older than that. Injuries will be part and parcel of his game from here on out specially since he seems to be someone with a dodgy knee (this is his second knee injury in the matter of a year or so I believe). Most cricketers (excluding a certain cricketer) enter the twilight of their careers when they hit the mid-30s. We can expect Azhar to play a max of 3-4 years from now. It would be shorter if he continues playing ODIs.

Besides we desperately need a fit and firing Azhar in tests, and not so much in ODIs. Infact in ODIs he is the exact opposite of what we need.

I agree, if he retires from LOI and only focuses on tests he would not only would he achieve more and play londer in tests but a lot of people would rate him higher.

 

[Justcrazy]

He is useless in OD.