DUBAI: Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan’s recovery from a lung infection to make a valiant innings in the Twenty20 World Cup semifinal was termed “miraculous” on Saturday by the Indian doctor who treated him.
Rizwan, 29, came out of the intensive care unit of a Dubai hospital to top-score with 67 in Pakistan’s 176-4 on Thursday, but his efforts were in vain as Australia overhauled that total to set up a title clash with New Zealand.
Rizwan’s courage was lauded by Pakistan’s batting coach Matthew Hayden and by fans, while pictures of the batsman lying in a hospital bed went viral on social media.
Saheer Sainalabdeen, a pulmonologist who hails from the south Indian state of Kerala, told AFP it was Rizwan’s “faith in God” and desire to play for Pakistan that got the batsman through a severe chest infection.
Rizwan was so grateful that he sent the doctor an autographed Pakistan shirt.
“I must admit that we did not expect his recovery to be so fast as it takes around five to seven days for improvement with the kind of condition that he came in with,” Sainalabdeen told AFP.
“But because of his fit lifestyle, of course he is a sportsperson, he improved in two to three days and it was miraculous.
“Main thing I thought was his faith in God and his strong belief to play in the World Cup for his country.”
Sainalabdeen said Rizwan was admitted to the hospital on November 9 with severe chest pain and doctors suspected heart issues but later it turned out to be spasm of the lungs and food pipe.
“It all started with cough and cold but November 9 he had severe chest pain and we had a doubt of him having heart issues,” he said.
“But then the evaluation found out that he had severe throat infection which led to spasm of the lungs and food pipe. Because of which he had severe pain and breathing difficulty.”
Once Rizwan was passed fit, he tore into the Australian bowling in Thursday’s semifinal, taking nine balls to get going with skipper Babar Azam as he hit Josh Hazlewood for six.
The batsman smashed three fours and four sixes in a 52-ball blitz before his dismissal in the 18th over. He jumped to second in the tournament’s batting chart with 281 runs in six matches, behind only Babar’s 303 runs.
Sainalabdeen, who works at the Medeor hospital which helps assure the bio bubble at this World Cup, said he felt “good” watching Rizwan’s knock on TV.
Rizwan, a wicketkeeper-batsman who hails from Peshawar, has played 49 T20 matches for Pakistan, scoring 1346 runs at an average of over 51 since his debut in 2015.
‘Faith in god,’ desire to play helped Rizwan make ‘miraculous’ recovery at Dubai hospital — doctor
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‘Faith in god,’ desire to play helped Rizwan make ‘miraculous’ recovery at Dubai hospital — doctor
- Rizwan, 29, came out of the intensive care unit of a Dubai hospital to top-score with 67 in Pakistan’s 176-4 on Thursday
- His courage was lauded by fans, while pictures of the batsman lying in a hospital bed went viral on social media
UAE President to make first official Pakistan visit today with Islamabad set for arrival
- Foreign office says talks will cover investment, energy cooperation and regional stability
- UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner and a key source of long-term investment
ISLAMABAD: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan today, Friday, for his first official visit since assuming office, with Islamabad adorned with Pakistani and Emirati flags to mark the occasion.
The visit, taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is aimed at reviewing bilateral ties and exploring ways to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy and development, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.
Ahead of the visit, Islamabad has been decked out with large billboards carrying images of the visiting UAE president alongside President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif.
Rehearsals were also held a day earlier along roads leading to Constitution Avenue, the seat of the government, where groups dressed in traditional attire lined both sides of the route to welcome the visiting delegation.
“During the visit, His Highness will hold a meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, where the two leaders will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest,” the foreign office said in a statement announcing the UAE president’s planned arrival earlier this week.
“The visit will provide an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,” it added.
The Islamabad administration has declared a public holiday in the capital, while the traffic police have rolled out an extensive plan to manage vehicular movement during the visit.
According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, heavy traffic entering the city has been barred from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., with several main arteries closed and alternative routes designated.
Pakistan considers the UAE one of its closest regional and economic partners. The Gulf state is Islamabad’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States and remains a major source of foreign investment.
Over the past two decades, Emirati investment in Pakistan has exceeded $10 billion, according to the UAE’s foreign ministry.
Policymakers in Pakistan also consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
