Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq has returned home from England amid growing scrutiny over his calf injury, with the batter now facing the prospect of a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) inquiry and potentially seeking legal counsel.
Imam was among seven players released from the Test squad after Pakistan's 194-run defeat to England at Lord's, which left them 2-0 down in the three-match series. The decision to overhaul the squad midway through the tour has raised questions about what happened inside the Pakistan camp.
Imam sustained the injury while fielding on the opening day at Lord's. The team management announced on the second day of the second Test that he had suffered a calf muscle injury, with scans later revealing a tear that ruled him out of the remainder of the tour. The PCB initially confirmed that scans showed a low-grade calf strain, and Imam missed both innings at Lord's.
Pakistan selection committee member Aaqib Javed has raised questions over Imam's injury and said the matter will be investigated. Javed called the circumstances surrounding the injury a "matter of great concern" and indicated that action could follow once the inquiry is completed.
"An inquiry will be conducted into this matter," Javed, part of a four-member national selection panel, told Pakistan's private news channel Geo TV during an interview aired on Tuesday night. "How is it possible that you failed to come out to bat in both innings after pulling up a muscle? Injuries do occur and we have seen instances in the past where players -- even with casts -- have gone out and made an effort. This situation is different. It is a matter of great concern, and action will be taken regarding it."
According to a team insider, Imam is likely to seek legal counsel when he appears before an inquiry committee. "Imam is in big trouble, and he is also likely to seek legal counsel when he has to appear to face an inquiry committee of the Board which will look into his calf muscle injury which didn't allow him to bat in both innings of the second Test," the insider told PTI.
The controversy intensified after former Pakistan chief selector Mohammad Wasim alleged that Imam had previously been involved in questionable injury episodes. Wasim claimed that former team physio Cliffe Deacon had warned him ahead of the 2022 Multan Test against England that Imam might fake an injury. Wasim confirmed that Deacon had alerted him to Imam's suspicious injury patterns during Pakistan's Test series against England in 2022.
The latest episode also revived a separate controversy from Pakistan's 2025 tour of New Zealand. According to a media report, a PCB committee in 2025 had determined that Imam fabricated a toe ailment on that tour and suggested that the board ban him from all forms. No such ban was ultimately imposed, and Imam continued playing international cricket.
During the second Test, on the fourth day, Imam was observed performing throwdowns while wearing a patch on his calf and was instructed to withdraw to the dressing room. Several former cricket players believed Imam was "faking" the injury and that it was not genuine. Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad also accused Imam of "putting on an act" after seeing him train with strapping on his calf.
Pakistan's poor performances in the series have forced the PCB to make bold decisions midway through the England tour. Along with releasing seven players, the board also made changes to the coaching staff, with both the head coach and bowling coach of the touring side being replaced. Sarfaraz Ahmed, the head coach, and four players—Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, and Khurram Shahzad—will stay in England for a few more days even though they were left out of the third and final Test against England in Birmingham, which starts on September 9.
Pakistan lost the first Test to England by an innings and 103 runs, and the second by 194 runs. Imam required 10 days of rest for his injury, according to sources.
Importantly, there is currently no established evidence that he fabricated the latest calf injury; the PCB itself confirmed the strain after scans.