Pakistan cricketers attend opening of new sports medicine department

DUBAI // Members of the Pakistani national cricket team have attended the opening of a new sports medicine department in a private hospital.

Team members Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Ahmed Shehzad, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammed Hafeez and Mohammad Irfan, as well as coaches Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed, unveiled the facility at the Medeor 24X7 Hospital on Sunday.

The players discussed the department’s work in healing sports-related ailments.

Dr Anurag Sapolia, specialist orthopaedic surgeon, said cricketers were particularly prone to injuries.

“Strains and ligament tears are the most common injuries players face however there is also the tendency to get hit by the hard, leather ball,” he said.

“Over the years these injuries and general wear and tear of the body adds up and some players have been forced to retire in their prime due to this. Therefore, it is essential that those looking to play sport professionally work with a physiotherapist to ensure longevity of their playing careers,” he said.

The hospital’s physiotherapy department is headed by Dr Faisal Hayat Khan, who is no stranger to sports injuries having served as the physiotherapist for the Australian and Pakistani cricket teams.