Dr. Najeebullah Soomro appointed as PCB's Chief Medical Officer [Post#53]

[MenInG]

Pakistan Cricket Board's head of medical panel, Dr Sohail Saleem has submitted his resignation to chairman Ehsan Mani following increasing criticism over the abrupt postponement of the Pakistan Super League 6 this week due to COVID-19 cases.

PSL was on Thursday postponed after six cricketers and one support staff member tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the cricket board to announce an inquiry into the fiasco.

A spokesman for the board confirmed that Dr Saleem has sent his resignation to the PCB chairman but no decision has been taken on its acceptance.

"The Chairman and concerned authorities will look at the resignation and take a decision," he said.

A reliable source said that fingers were pointed at Dr Saleem soon after the board had to postpone the event as he was asked to supervise the bio-secure bubble arrangements for the teams in the PSL.

"It is clear that the top officials have lost confidence in Dr Saleem who has been working in the board for a long time and headed the Medical and Sports Sciences department," he said.

The source said that with the PCB top officials feeling the heat due to the strong criticism from various quarters and also at questions being asked over the various loopholes in the bio-secure bubble it was apparent some heads will roll.

Dr Saleem had travelled with the Pakistan squad to England and New Zealand and also remained attached with the team for the home series against Zimbabwe and South Africa as a bio-secure security officer. He was sent to England and New Zealand to closely observe the COVID-19 protocols that were laid down by the hosts for the series.

The source said even Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is the patron-in-chief of the board, had conveyed his displeasure over the abrupt postponement of the league, which has dented Pakistan cricket's image.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...ent-pakistan-super-league/article34007685.ece

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

I'm not sure what his exact responsibilities were in this regard, but a medical panel head should be creating policy, not executing it.

In short, I can't expect Dr Saleem to be on the ground personally making sure PSL teams and related players/ institutions are following the rules.

In short, he shouldn't be the only one resigning.

 

[MenInG]

I'm not sure what his exact responsibilities were in this regard, but a medical panel head should be creating policy, not executing it.

In short, I can't expect Dr Saleem to be on the ground personally making sure PSL teams and related players/ institutions are following the rules.

In short, he shouldn't be the only one resigning.

Dr Saleem had travelled with the Pakistan squad to England and New Zealand and also remained attached with the team for the home series against Zimbabwe and South Africa as a bio-secure security officer. He was sent to England and New Zealand to closely observe the COVID-19 protocols that were laid down by the hosts for the series.

He closely observed and what conclusions did he present to the PCB?

Also I am reading reports that:

Despite complaining of feeling unwell after the evening game on Saturday, February 27, Fawad Ahmed wasn't given a Covid test until the following evening, at 9pm, despite repeated requests.

The franchise claims when Ahmed initially consulted the PCB doctor, informing him of a stomach pains, he was told it didn't fit Covid symptoms. The doctor was unable to see him the next morning because of another unrelated medical incident.

All this seems to point to a failure from the medical side

 

[cricket4all]

I presume some heads (or 1 here) had to roll and this person is the first scapegoat casualty. I will be surprised if there will be no more.

 

[LeedsGreen]

I presume some heads (or 1 here) had to roll and this person is the first scapegoat casualty. I will be surprised if there will be no more.

how can it be a scapegoat if the area of which he was head of failed miserably?
this is the very minimum that was required given circumstances and he has clearly failed in his role

 

[cricketjoshila]

Scapegoated.

 

[Justcrazy]

The medical team should have been fired straightaway, Pakistan need proper modern medical team which knows the modern-day issues and solutions.

 

[hashimafzal]

Scapegoated.

This man went live on the air and stated COVID is an airborne disease in the press conference. How can a medical "professional" be so clueless and get something so incorrect and wrong from his own field?

COVID is NOT airborne and I would hope every medical "expert" knows more than the average person can find off google.

 

[Saj]

He is the 3 day quarantine man.

Basically the guy who said 3 day quarantine is fine.

He is also the guy that said to PCB that it was ok for Wahab and Sammy to rejoin the PZ squad despite them not adhering to the protocols of the bubble.

 

[unemployedgm]

Reservations about Dr Saleem’s abilities are not new.

He has been scapegoated. But what about the people who initially hired him and those who allowed him to continue.

 

[moghul]

I seriously doubt this Dr's qualification to be head of a national "sport medicine department". All his diploma's and qualifications seems to be earned after attending some short courses . some online and not proper training including residency or equivalent in house training . Almost all the doctors taking this high profile job are orthopedics surgeons who have done further specialty training in sports medicine after completing their orthopedic training , which is one of the most difficult training to get into, even for US graduate here . We have some non-orthopedic sports medicine physicians also with lesser training and they take care of school teams and not beyond that.

No wonder poor outcome of injuries sustained by Pakistanis cricketers is a trend rather than an a rare thing.

I might be wrong, but I have serious doubt about this Doctor's qualification good enough to be director of sports medicine department of the national cricket team.

I have no idea what expertise Dr Saleem possesses regarding covid 19 infection.

 

[unemployedgm]

So why blame him? Blame the people who hired an underqualified individual for one of the most important positions in the board.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

So why blame him? Blame the people who hired an underqualified individual for one of the most important positions in the board.

He has been there for ages and across several PCB administrations.
It is high time that he is relieved from his duties. He has been an absolute joke given his lacklustre treatment of players' injuries over the years.

 

[Savak]

The guy should have been let go a long time ago. The PCB medical as it is has a rich record of messing up the injuries, rehabilitation of so many Pakistani players i.e. Harris Sohail, Ruman Raees, Hasan Ali.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

This man went live on the air and stated COVID is an airborne disease in the press conference. How can a medical "professional" be so clueless and get something so incorrect and wrong from his own field?

COVID is NOT airborne and I would hope every medical "expert" knows more than the average person can find off google.

Who knows what it is and isn't. There are some that say it is. Some that say it isn't.

These 'Experts' take u-turns every other day.

 

[mazkhan]

They have found the qurbani ka bakra , rolled his head and now everything will swept under the carpet

 

[hashimafzal]

Who knows what it is and isn't. There are some that say it is. Some that say it isn't.

These 'Experts' take u-turns every other day.

If your main source of information is Google, then yes, COVID may be airborne.

But if you are a medical expert and are knowledgeable on the subject, then I would assume you turn to better sources than WebMD.

It has been determined by the CDC, by the WHO through trials and research that COVID is spread through respiratory droplets and is not airborne.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

It has been determined by the CDC, by the WHO through trials and research that COVID is spread through respiratory droplets and is not airborne.

Same CDC that said masks aren't necessary?

This CDC?

For the third time in less than a month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has altered its guidance on how Covid-19 spreads. The agency said Monday that airborne transmission is possible, but that it's not the most common way the virus travels from person to person — a position that was published and then removed from its website in September.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...now-says-covid-19-sometimes-airborne-n1242167

 

[Ellipsism]

Seeing how the PCB have botched the treatment of pretty much every major injury our players have gone through in recent times (think Hassan, Zafar and Haris Sohail who've all had to go overseas) he should've resigned a while back.

3 day quarantine

I wonder why in places like Aus and NZ, where apart from a couple of cases here and there Covid is pretty much non existent, quarantine is at least 2 weeks.

 

[BigShak]

Another blessing in disguise for Pakistan cricket. FINALLY, we can get rid of this guy and get some professionals in to manage the medical department and stop jeapordising the careers of cricketers with their treatment.

 

[Titan24]

Director of medical Mr Sohail has done some poor work over the years with regards to handling injuries of players, should have been let go long ago in my opinion. Number of cricketing careers were cut short due to some incompetencies by PCB medical panel headed by him and some had to resort to consultancy from foreign doctors to fix themselves.

Its a shame he is being let go just now and not earlier. Hopefully someone more competent and with understanding and experience of working with athletes can be hired.

 

[shah_1]

He has been there for ages and across several PCB administrations.
It is high time that he is relieved from his duties. He has been an absolute joke given his lacklustre treatment of players' injuries over the years.

Wasim Khan has been here for two years so it took him this much time and a disaster like this to know Dr isn't good enough. Cute

 

[JattMaula]

3 day quarantine man!

Played with lives of hundreds of people. Should be prosecuted in criminal court.

 

[moghul]

There should be an independent inquiry on this doctor's managing of player's injuries during his tenure. Too many cricketers misdiagnosed or were not treated properly, prime example being Haris Sohail , who lost precious time and still not 100% fit.

He did not have to treat everyone himself but should have referred the injured player to a proper physician at proper time and the player should have received rehabilitation and physical therapy under close watch of a specialist rehab physician , which apparently did not happen.

 

[OMB]

3 day quarantine man!

Played with lives of hundreds of people. Should be prosecuted in criminal court.

It takes 4 to 5 days for the symptoms to develop.
and another thing, Vaccinations don't reduce the chance of contracting Covid-19, only reduce the severity.
I know of friends who have got Covid-19 even after 2 doses of Sinopharm.

 

[Saj]

Scapegoated.

Not really.

There is history there for this guy.

He's bee involved in some very poor decisions regarding players injuries.

In fact some of those players have had to go overseas at their own expense to rectify the errors made by PCB medics.

 

[observer1]

Not really.

There is history there for this guy.

He's bee involved in some very poor decisions regarding players injuries.

In fact some of those players have had to go overseas at their own expense to rectify the errors made by PCB medics.

If what you are saying is accurate, there is no way anyone can call this resignation a "Scapegoat"

 

[Saj]

If what you are saying is accurate, there is no way anyone can call this resignation a "Scapegoat"

I wouldn't say it if it wasn't 100% accurate.

Haris Sohail
Hassan Ali
Shan Masood
Hammad Azam
Azhar Ali

Just a few of the names who have had to go overseas for treatment.

 

[observer1]

I wouldn't say it if it wasn't 100% accurate.

Haris Sohail
Hassan Ali
Shan Masood
Hammad Azam
Azhar Ali

Just a few of the names who have had to go overseas for treatment.

What about prior to this?

I know Shoaib Akhtar was pretty damning at the "support" he received from injuries and the alleged advice players received.

 

[Saj]

What about prior to this?

I know Shoaib Akhtar was pretty damning at the "support" he received from injuries and the alleged advice players received.

I'm not sure about earlier.

The players that I know about I have listed as they sought help from someone I know.

In fact Haris Sohail's career was almost ended by the PCB medics.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Any doctor in the current regime that is gone from PCB is a great thing. PCB doctor & staff have been absolutely clownish for years with players injuries.

 

[Sherlock]

This guy's history reeks of incompetence and ineptitude.

They need to accept his resignation and move on. No need having people like him in the sphere of sporting medical department, let alone the medical department.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Wasim Khan has been here for two years so it took him this much time and a disaster like this to know Dr isn't good enough. Cute

It’s fair blaming Wasim but where is Ehsan Mani who hasn’t even appeared?

 

[unemployedgm]

If what you are saying is accurate, there is no way anyone can call this resignation a "Scapegoat"

You don’t seem to know the meaning of scapegoating

 

[cricketjoshila]

Not really.

There is history there for this guy.

He's bee involved in some very poor decisions regarding players injuries.

In fact some of those players have had to go overseas at their own expense to rectify the errors made by PCB medics.

What is his qualifications? Degree in sports science?

 

[moghul]

I wouldn't say it if it wasn't 100% accurate.

Haris Sohail
Hassan Ali
Shan Masood
Hammad Azam
Azhar Ali

Just a few of the names who have had to go overseas for treatment.

And, he sent Shadab to UK for treatment of hepatitis . This is one filed in which some of the best physician in this filed are available in Pakistan, there was no need to go to UK for that .

I have no idea whether he had basic post graduate training in Pakistan or abroad like FCPS or MRCP or not, I doubt it . I know he had no US based training

 

[The Viper]

Good riddance. This doctor has done enough damage to the team. The only thing is, why have PCB kept him for so damn long? From what I have read on PCB’s website, he was appointed in 2000!

 

[Saj]

What is his qualifications? Degree in sports science?

Most important qualification - friends in higher places.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

As usual PCB reeks of incompetence and this is no different.

Their medical team has been exceptionally poor through the years be that in players injuries diagnosing the wrong treatment making it worse or not knowing what to do they still carry out a procedure and then when it is wrong then they go abroad to seek further assistance.

 

[moghul]

Most important qualification - friends in higher places.

Thats what counts in Pakistan, so he was fully "qualified" , stayed at the job even after screwing up many promising cricket careers.

 

[angrypathan]

Better late than never.

 

[NoBallZombie]

Would be great if someone can post his official qualifications.

I expect someone with better “sources” to get this role now. Can’t expect a medical practitioner of repute to join the pcb on merit. This post along with the pcb lawyer post

 

[MenInG]

TIFF-PCB-accepts-resignation-of-Dr-Sohail-Saleem-after-PSL-debacleLAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to release the head of its Medical Department Dr Sohail Saleem, officially accepting his resignation, which had been tendered on March 5 in the wake of the Pakistan Super League VI. The PCB believes there is a need to revamp its Medical and Sports Sciences department, elevating it in line with the international standards.

The PSL was curtailed last month after an outbreak of COVID-19 among a number of players made its continuation untenable. That came after a number of incidents raised questions about the security and implementation of the protocols put in place in the bio-secure environment during the tournament. It is unclear if Saleem was underlined and held accountable by the fact-finding panel –– formed to review the fiasco. Nevertheless, his exit was always on the cards.

The PCB said that Sohail wasn’t removed but had made the decision to leave himself, a decision the board respects. But his performance has been under scrutiny for some time –– and for reasons other than the bio-secure issues. Over the years during his time as the medical head, several players have struggled to return after rehabilitation from injuries. There had been a lack of trust from a number of players in his department, some of whom have opted to seek treatment from external doctors, with a number of players travelling to the UK for independent assessment and rehabilitation.

https://dailytimes.com.pk/744724/pcb-accepts-resignation-of-dr-sohail-saleem-after-psl-debacle/

 

[MenInG]

Dr Sohail Saleem speaking to a news source:

"Without a second's hesitation, I tendered my resignation. However, in my personal opinion, I was made a scapegoat for the mismanagement that took place to save others who were responsible [for the debacle]"

"At least I should have been told what my negligence was, I worked day and night for 365 days and this is the treatment I received"

 

[Markhor]

Dr Sohail Saleem speaking to a news source:

"Without a second's hesitation, I tendered my resignation. However, in my personal opinion, I was made a scapegoat for the mismanagement that took place to save others who were responsible [for the debacle]"

"At least I should have been told what my negligence was, I worked day and night for 365 days and this is the treatment I received"

He should've been sacked long before PSL.

 

[Mamoon]

He was sacked to save the jobs of Wasim Khan and Ehsan Mani who were directly responsible for the fiasco.

In Feb-Mar, the COVID situation in Pakistan was not severe to the point where a tournament could not have been conducted.

However, PCB was extremely relaxed and did not take the necessary measures to protect the personnel.

Players were regularly meeting fans as well as family members and the owners and brand ambassadors were walking into and out of the hotel freely.

There was no so-called bio-secure bubble in the first place and it was the failure of PCB leadership.

We heard a lot about the accountability and transparency in “Naya” PCB, but we have not seen any examples so far.

If PCB had any credibility and if Wasim Khan had any dignity, he would have resigned because it was a failure of his leadership.

 

[Titan24]

He should've been sacked long before PSL.

Pretty much. Number of careers impacted and sometimes ended due to not the best diagnosis, treatments and mishandling by the medical panel which he was heading this should definitely have happened few years ago,

 

[shujaatraza]

He was sacked to save the jobs of Wasim Khan and Ehsan Mani who were directly responsible for the fiasco.

In Feb-Mar, the COVID situation in Pakistan was not severe to the point where a tournament could not have been conducted.

However, PCB was extremely relaxed and did not take the necessary measures to protect the personnel.

Players were regularly meeting fans as well as family members and the owners and brand ambassadors were walking into and out of the hotel freely.

There was no so-called bio-secure bubble in the first place and it was the failure of PCB leadership.

We heard a lot about the accountability and transparency in “Naya” PCB, but we have not seen any examples so far.

If PCB had any credibility and if Wasim Khan had any dignity, he would have resigned because it was a failure of his leadership.

Care to comment on the competence of BCCI? Looks like something similar happened over there at IPL?

 

[MenInG]

Some more comments in the media from Dr. Saleem:

“I did not resign, I was asked to do it. PCB said you have two options; either you resign or we sack you. I didn’t want to get sacked after 20 years of service, so I gave them my resignation"

“To this day, I don’t know what the allegations against me were. I will not blame Wasim Khan [CEO] or any other person in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). They just did not like the work I was doing and that’s it"

“People blame me for the PSL 6 fiasco but what they fail to realise that before that I successfully conducted six international series and the domestic season. At one point there were five events which were happening at the same time but everything went according to plan. Can you name any other country who was able to resume cricket in this manner,”

“I didn’t have any support from local sports bodies in Pakistan, with regards to rebooting sports in the country amid Covid-19 pandemic but still I designed the protocols, by working day and night, for the betterment of cricketers in the country.”

 

[silentkiller187]

He was sacked to save the jobs of Wasim Khan and Ehsan Mani who were directly responsible for the fiasco.

In Feb-Mar, the COVID situation in Pakistan was not severe to the point where a tournament could not have been conducted.

However, PCB was extremely relaxed and did not take the necessary measures to protect the personnel.

Players were regularly meeting fans as well as family members and the owners and brand ambassadors were walking into and out of the hotel freely.

There was no so-called bio-secure bubble in the first place and it was the failure of PCB leadership.

We heard a lot about the accountability and transparency in “Naya” PCB, but we have not seen any examples so far.

If PCB had any credibility and if Wasim Khan had any dignity, he would have resigned because it was a failure of his leadership.

Would you agree then in the interest of consistency that Rajiv Shukla and Saurav Ganguly should also tender a resignation, especially after the latter's tone deaf interview on covid?

 

[MenInG]

UK-based Indian doctor and a UK-based Pakistani sports medicine specialist, Dr Zafar will assist PCB in the selection process of its medical panel head, a position which became vacant after the resignation of Dr Sohail Saleem in the aftermath of the Pakistan Super League fiasco in March.

The Indian doctor has decided to help free of cost to help in the finalisation of a new medical panel head, an official said.

He said the two doctors have studied the qualifications of the candidates and also interviewed them before forwarding the name of the successful person to the PCB.

We sought their expertise because we don't have many qualified sports medicine specialists in the country and since the head of the PCB medical panel has to be qualified in this field they conducted the interviews.

 

[Savak]

UK-based Indian doctor and a UK-based Pakistani sports medicine specialist, Dr Zafar will assist PCB in the selection process of its medical panel head, a position which became vacant after the resignation of Dr Sohail Saleem in the aftermath of the Pakistan Super League fiasco in March.

The Indian doctor has decided to help free of cost to help in the finalisation of a new medical panel head, an official said.

He said the two doctors have studied the qualifications of the candidates and also interviewed them before forwarding the name of the successful person to the PCB.

We sought their expertise because we don't have many qualified sports medicine specialists in the country and since the head of the PCB medical panel has to be qualified in this field they conducted the interviews.

Bara Dill Hai. Who does something for free in today's cut throat corporate and business world?

 

[MenInG]

Dr Najeebullah appointed as PCB’s Chief Medical Officer

• He has worked with Cricket Australia, Cricket NSW, FIFA and Australian Football League and presently leads Sports Medicine and Science at the South Fremantle Football Club

Lahore, 3 August 2021:

Dr Najeebullah Soomro, who has made a name in Australia sport with his research, practice and contribution, has been appointed as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chief Medical Officer following a robust recruitment process. The position had become vacant following the resignation of Dr Sohail Saleem.

Dr Najeebullah is an MBBS from Karachi’s Dow University of Health and Sciences and a PhD from Discipline of Exercise and Sports Science, The University of Sydney (Thesis: Cricket Injury Prevention). This was completed in collaboration with Cricket Australia in creating the world’s first Cricket Injury Prevention Programme (CIPP) and injury surveillance mobile app (TeamDoc) for community cricket.

Dr Najeebullah is also a dual trained Injury Epidemiologist & Sports Scientist, having completed Master of Public Health from The University of Sydney, majoring in Epidemiology and Injury Prevention.

Dr Najeebullah’s consultancy in Sports Science and Medicine spans national and international organisations, such as Cricket Australia, Cricket New South Wales, Cricket Victoria, Pakistan Cricket Board, IronMan Western Australia, FIFA, Rugby League, Netball and Australian Football League.

In 2018, Dr Najeebullah published the world largest cricket injury study, which included data from more than 12,500 cricketers around the world, making him one of the top cited cricket researchers in the world. He is presently leading Sports Medicine and Science at the South Fremantle Football Club, which is a champion Western Australian AFL team.

Dr Najeebullah, will relocate from Perth to assume his responsibilities at the National High Performance Centre in October.

 

[KyoOne]

Dr Najeebullah appointed as PCB’s Chief Medical Officer

• He has worked with Cricket Australia, Cricket NSW, FIFA and Australian Football League and presently leads Sports Medicine and Science at the South Fremantle Football Club

Lahore, 3 August 2021:

Dr Najeebullah Soomro, who has made a name in Australia sport with his research, practice and contribution, has been appointed as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chief Medical Officer following a robust recruitment process. The position had become vacant following the resignation of Dr Sohail Saleem.

Dr Najeebullah is an MBBS from Karachi’s Dow University of Health and Sciences and a PhD from Discipline of Exercise and Sports Science, The University of Sydney (Thesis: Cricket Injury Prevention). This was completed in collaboration with Cricket Australia in creating the world’s first Cricket Injury Prevention Programme (CIPP) and injury surveillance mobile app (TeamDoc) for community cricket.

Dr Najeebullah is also a dual trained Injury Epidemiologist & Sports Scientist, having completed Master of Public Health from The University of Sydney, majoring in Epidemiology and Injury Prevention.

Dr Najeebullah’s consultancy in Sports Science and Medicine spans national and international organisations, such as Cricket Australia, Cricket New South Wales, Cricket Victoria, Pakistan Cricket Board, IronMan Western Australia, FIFA, Rugby League, Netball and Australian Football League.

In 2018, Dr Najeebullah published the world largest cricket injury study, which included data from more than 12,500 cricketers around the world, making him one of the top cited cricket researchers in the world. He is presently leading Sports Medicine and Science at the South Fremantle Football Club, which is a champion Western Australian AFL team.

Dr Najeebullah, will relocate from Perth to assume his responsibilities at the National High Performance Centre in October.

Wow. Looks a brilliant appointment. Hope he brings with himself a good team as well, as the one currently at PCB seems to be inept at managing injuries of players for a long time

 

[Shafi]

Since Mani, Misbah and Waqar are not going anywhere plus Wasim Khan has limitation to exercise his power these good appointments will not make much difference to improve our cricket.

 

[Titan24]

Pretty good profile, someone with a good amount of experience of working with cricket and other sporting bodies.

 

[MenInG]

Dr. Najibullah photographed with Misbah

 

[Shafi]

View attachment 110870

Dr. Najibullah photographed with Misbah

Looks like Misbah has all sorts of connections in Pakistan. No wonder once he hold 3 top coaching position without meeting job advertisement criteria and zero experience, sacked a professional international coach and appointed himself.

 

[offstump]

Those are a lot of conclusions based on one photo.

 

[Bewal Express]

Let's hope the guy does a good job. Under WK many excellent appointments have been made and some ineffective ones. But that's par for the course when you hire People

 

[shamaan]

Seems like he has good knowledge and good experience working with different sporting athletes hopefully he can have a good team around him.

 

[Golden arm]

This man went live on the air and stated COVID is an airborne disease in the press conference. How can a medical "professional" be so clueless and get something so incorrect and wrong from his own field?

COVID is NOT airborne and I would hope every medical "expert" knows more than the average person can find off google.

Increasingly there is more and more evidence that covid is air borne.

The point is its a new beast which Medical fraternity still don't have significant information

 

[angrypathan]

Seems like a good appointment. Hopefully leads to the PCB managing injuries in a much better fashion than they have in the past.

 

[moghul]

Hope he is a properly trained physicians with 5-6 years of clinical/in hospital training with degrees like FCPS, FRCS/ American Board or Fellow of Royal college of Australia and not a "researcher" with degrees like MPH/PHD. I have seen many doctors who get limited licenses after some short courses here and there lasting a year or so, but not the proper training lasting 5-6 years of post graduate training. These short cuts are not possible in USA but do exist in UK and Australia.

I would like to see his CV with details of his clinical training.

 

[angrypathan]

Hope he is a properly trained physicians with 5-6 years of clinical/in hospital training with degrees like FCPS, FRCS/ American Board or Fellow of Royal college of Australia and not a "researcher" with degrees like MPH/PHD. I have seen many doctors who get limited licenses after some short courses here and there lasting a year or so, but not the proper training lasting 5-6 years of post graduate training. These short cuts are not possible in USA but do exist in UK and Australia.

I would like to see his CV with details of his clinical training.

Having a look at his LinkedIn profile, I fear your concerns may be true. He doesn't hold any post-graduate fellowships, and most of his time has been spent in research and teaching.

 

[MenInG]

Having a look at his LinkedIn profile, I fear your concerns may be true. He doesn't hold any post-graduate fellowships, and most of his time has been spent in research and teaching.

Dr. Zaf has been involved in selection of this person so I am fairly confident that we have the right man.

 

[shah_1]

Hope he is a properly trained physicians with 5-6 years of clinical/in hospital training with degrees like FCPS, FRCS/ American Board or Fellow of Royal college of Australia and not a "researcher" with degrees like MPH/PHD. I have seen many doctors who get limited licenses after some short courses here and there lasting a year or so, but not the proper training lasting 5-6 years of post graduate training. These short cuts are not possible in USA but do exist in UK and Australia.

I would like to see his CV with details of his clinical training.

Pakistani doctors in Pakistan have no experience in sport injury prevention and rehabitation. Pcb have to look aboard. People with such experience will charge premium amount of money which PCB won't be able to pay sadly

 

[MenInG]

Dr Najeeb Soomro, a medical doctor, and dual-trained as an injury epidemiologist and sports scientist, has recently taken on the enviable, yet challenging role of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chief Medical Officer.

His career in between, has spanned national and international sports’ organisations, including Cricket Australia, FIFA, Rugby League, Netball, and AFL. It’s a trajectory that has seen his passion for sport and medicine intertwined every step of the way.

But Dr Soomro sees his role as having a broader responsibility to the community and he’s passionate about public health initiatives. “We’re doing prostate and breast cancer awareness, and we’re promoting transgender people and their participation in the community and the sport. I want to make sure that everybody plays cricket. Cricket should be for everyone. If you're 60 years old, or you are six years old, everybody should be physically active, as this reduces your risk of chronic disease.”

For Soomro, it’s about more than just a game. “I think you've got to be passionate about doing something and only then will you be successful, you need to have your heart and soul in it.”

Starting out at Sydney

After studying medicine in Pakistan, followed by an internship at a large tertiary hospital in Pakistan, Soomro quickly realised that he was looking for ‘something more exciting, a bit out of the box’. He looked overseas and was accepted into the University of Sydney’s Master of International Public Health, studying Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
His love of cricket helped him to settle into university life from the start. “You're new to the country, trying to figure out things, but one of the things that was common between me, and the local guys was cricket,” Dr Soomro says. “I had my bat with me and one day, I wanted to play at the University cricket club. I was walking in, and I stumbled on the head of department and had a very long chat about cricket and his memories about the Pakistani team and we sort of got very close and the reason for that was basically cricket. That's how I made a lot of friends - it was a discovery for me, that sport goes a long way in getting people together.”

He decided to continue to a PhD and approached Cricket Australia to discuss ideas around injury prevention. “I went to Cricket Australia, and they said that they were well-covered at the international level, however at the junior grassroots, club cricket level, not much work had been done. There wasn’t a lot of baseline data available on why injuries happen, on the physical characteristics or risk factors, or on how we can develop programs to mitigate those risks,” Soomro says.

“So, I thought of a solution, to develop an app where players can instantaneously report injuries and I could prioritise going to see that person, rather than going from ground to ground.” He also examined what other sports were doing to prevent injuries and collected data on 12,000 cricketers around the world - studying over one million hours of cricket and more than a million injury-based articles.
His thesis, Cricket Injury Prevention, a collaboration with Cricket Australia, resulted in the creation of the free mobile app, TeamDoc, and the development of the world’s first Cricket Injury Prevention Program (CIPP).

Soomro went on to work as a resident medical officer at regional hospitals in Victoria and Western Australia - at the same time as working with numerous sports teams, including the Dalyellup Beach Cricket Club, the Mallee Murray Bulls, and South Broken Hill Cricket Clubs, Cricket NSW, IronMan WA, West Coast Fever Netball, St George Dragons Rugby League Club and FIFA, before scoring the role of team doctor for South Fremantle Football Club.

He also worked at the University as an Adjunct Lecturer and Research Fellow - a highlight being a stint at Broken Hill Rural Health Campus. “It’s just the remoteness, it teaches you how you can solve things using fewer resources, and that's something that, coming from Pakistan, I had a bit of experience in and was able to translate to my clinical practice in Australia,” he says. “I learnt a lot about what real Australia is like, met country people who were very friendly, made a lot of Indigenous friends, played cricket. They accepted me as part of their community, and I made long-lasting friendships. That bonding is something that drives you to another level, I think that was something that completely pivoted my career.”

Returning home to Pakistan

He took on the role at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in October 2021, packing up his life in Perth to head to Lahore. As Chief Medical Officer, he oversees the care, injury prevention and rehabilitation of Pakistan’s national cricket team, including over 10,000 registered players, as well as driving policy and innovation.

It can also be high pressure, due to cricket’s significance in Pakistan. The Australian cricket team is currently on its first tour there in 24 years, amidst high security and COVID-19 risks. Australia pulled out of its last tour in 1998, after a suicide blast at a Lahore church, while Pakistan has struggled to attract international teams since a 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lanka team’s bus. Australia’s return now, is being hailed as a morale boost for Pakistan.

“Absolutely, it's a challenging job,” Soomro says. “It's also a dynamic, highly rewarding job, and that gives you that adrenaline rush. You get to work with the greatest athletes of all time and probably one of the most gratifying things is when you treat a young athlete and they're able to get back on the ground and play, and the gratification they show is completely incredible.”

https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opin...a-game-for-pakistani-cricket-team-doctor.html

 

[MenInG]

And out he goes.

As per a report:

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Najeeb Soomro, has been sacked by the board, and it is being said that he was unable to play his role in saving several players from injuries.

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