JOIN USQuoting sources in the team, ‘The News’ reported that that a skin infection is not the only reason why Shoaib has been taken out of the squad.
The report claimed that the 33-year-old is addicted to pain-killing injections and was down with fever during the best part of the one-day series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
“He was down with a temperature of 101 most of the time during the team’s stay in the UAE. His problem is chronic,” the report quoted a source as saying.
The report added that Shoaib relies heavily on pain-killers, some of which are illegal in several countries including the UAE where the fast bowler was part of the national team in the recent series.
“Shoaib was so desperate for a particular pain-killing injection during the tour that he almost begged a local doctor for it.
The doctor, however, told him that he would risk being thrown out of the UAE if he administrated the injection,” the report said.
The report said that in spite of the severe restrictions in the UAE hospital, Shoaib got seven pain-killing injections in Dubai and Abu Dhabi during the series.
Shoaib was left out of the World Cup squad on the advice of the PCB medical board which examined him last week and concluded that he needed at least 10 to 12 days rest before a re-examination in the first week of June.
Shoaib has courted controversy throughout his career. His action was deemed suspect by some experts early on, then there was the doping row a couple of years back.
He had just returned to the national team after a break and the latest controversy will certainly be a setback to the fiery pacebowler.