Mind games or flesh wounds?

Shoaib Akhtar - his injury is part of a wider malaise in Pakistan cricket © Getty Images Enlarge

First there was David Beckham's metatarsal; now there is Shoaib Akhtar's rib. Two injuries to international sporting celebrities, both of which gripped their respective countries. But whereas Beckham's foot had people wondering "Will he play, won't he play?", Shoaib's situation is more serious. The world awaits the answer: "Did he fake his injury, or didn't he?"

But to focus on Shoaib alone is to mask a number of broader issues regarding the Pakistan Cricket Board's medical commission. Until the final report is made public, Shoaib must be assumed to be telling the truth about his injury, although the PCB remains cautious. Speaking to Wisden Cricinfo, Rameez Raja, the chief executive, emphasised that no statements or judgments can be made until then. "The commission wants to look at a number of other things as well - medical technicalities - along with the MRI scan - before we make a decision on anything," said Rameez. "I have told the commission not to make any statements until the report is finalised."

The existence and nature of the commission has come under some criticism. Is it there merely to find a scapegoat? Will something tangible emerge from it? Does it divert attention from other causes of defeat?

It is important to recall that immediately after the Rawalpindi defeat, the question of an inquiry was a matter of when, not why - Shoaib's pyrotechnic display with the bat raised not just the concerns of players, officials, journalists and fans, it clearly sat uncomfortably with Inzamam, who suggested as much at his press conference. The medical nature of the inquiry might have muddled the proceedings, but it shouldn't divert from the fact that Inzamam and others felt suspicious enough of Shoaib's injury - or attitude - to voice their doubts publicly.

In the light of this, the PCB's action has some semblance of logic, albeit a confused and convoluted one. "The commission was set up to clear the status of the PCB and the players," says Rameez. "If it is found that any of the injuries were faked, however, action will be taken." The local media has played on the impression that Shoaib is being set up as a scapegoat, although Rameez is quick to deny this. "Cricket is a team game, and if Pakistan lost, it wasn't just because of Shoaib's injuries. There were other reasons as well, but definitely all the injuries played a part. The reason for this commission, in calling players like Moin and Razzaq, was to find out why there were so many injuries happening in the middle of the series."

This is where the confusion and convolution comes in. There is confusion because the attitude, as much as the fitness, of players in the third Test has come under scrutiny. Never mind the injuries, perhaps any inquiry should have looked at the root causes of this problem alone. One official said: "The attitude of the players in that Test was very poor. Whether or not some were carrying injuries, it was so pathetic I was appalled. The injuries were a factor, but the attitudes compounded that and it is why the chairman has written letters to the players asking them why they played the way they did."

The commission is bound to highlight the need for a fulltime fitness trainer to be attached to the team. However serious the players are about their fitness, clearly their standards are not what they should be - it doesn't need a commission of doctors to point that out. "I have made it clear to Shaharyar Khan before," said one senior official at the PCB, "Pakistan needs a trainer, regardless of what the medical commission finds."

So far, the PCB has shown commendable nerve in avoiding panicked changes - it is intent on gradual, rather than radical, change in the Pakistani set-up. If defeat to India can instigate changes in the attitude and fitness of players, and initiate a process of much-needed professionalism within Team Pakistan, then at least there will be some silver lining.