Ihsanullah, a promising Pakistani fast bowler with the ability to bowl with speeds in excess of 150 kmph, injured his elbow on his ODI debut in 2023, leading him to be left on the sidelines.
Now, following the revelation Ihsanullah had an elbow injury that was originally misdiagnosed and consequently turned out to be substantially more serious than expected, the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) medical management of fast bowlers is once again under close scrutiny.
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Ihsan had an exceptional Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023, which fast-tracked his progress into the Pakistan national team.
He made his international debut in March 2023 in a T20I against Afghanistan, at the age of just 20. Later on, he played three more T20Is, and a solitary ODI against New Zealand. However, the worsening of his injury forced him to miss the Asia Cup as well as the World Cup.
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PCB respond to allegations on the medical team by Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen
On April 3, 2024, Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen took to X (formerly Twitter) and shed light on the injury situation of Ihsan, accusing the PCB medical team of mismanagement and inaccurate diagnosis.
While Ihsan was doing rehab in NCA Lahore, he was staying in an apartment with his family. All rent and living expenses were paid by MS. We retained him in the PSL even though he was injured so he could spend time with our Physios and S&C. We are flying him to England this month to be assessed by a world renowned surgeon. Ihsan is currently back home in Swat because he wanted to spend time with his family before the upcoming UK trip.
While Ihsan was doing rehab in NCA Lahore, he was staying in an apartment with his family. All rent and living expenses were paid by MS.
— Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) April 2, 2024
We retained him in the PSL even though he was injured so he could spend time with our Physios and S&C.
We are flying him to England this… https://t.co/MgBig69hQX
In response, Dr. Sohail Saleem, Director of Medical and Sports Sciences at PCB, explained to ESPNcricinfo that although the initial MRI data was misinterpreted, no misdiagnosis occurred.
Without requiring more scans, Dr. Saleem insisted on reevaluating the MRI in England, which produced different results from the first evaluation.
There was no mishandling in this case. I'll admit there was a delay [in the initial diagnosis], but no mishandling.
Ihsanullah continued with a training program that included frequent bowling and gym activity even though there was no proof that a more serious ailment had been definitively ruled out. After he complained of discomfort repeatedly, a later scan indicated a fracture that had been greatly aggravated by the exertion he had been subjected to.
This aggravation generally tends to permanently hinder a bowler's ability to consistently produce high speeds, and could even derail a career permanently in some cases.
Dr. Saleem acknowledged that Ihsan's injury was worse than the evaluation initially revealed.
I said I wanted to get fresh tests conducted because I suspected it was more than just workload syndrome. It was diagnosed as such by the doctor who was previously here at the PCB, and not my team. A lab that gave us an MRI scan gave us an incorrect prognosis. I ordered the same scan again, and we picked the fracture up.
The recovery period of an injury this serious isn't three months, it's much longer.
There were reports that while Ihsan was out on the sidelines, his relationship with the PCB deteriorated. Dr Saleem, though, quashed all the rumours.
We have worked on Ihsanullah a lot. We spent a lot of money on Ihsanullah, and have now arranged for his visa to the UK. But he wanted the shortest possible time span to full fitness. Our rehab is based on recovery-related criteria independent of time.
It remains to be seen whether the 21-year-old can come back to his best, but what's almost certain is that he won't be featuring in the upcoming T20 World Cup which will take place in June.
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