UK-based Indian doctor roped in by PCB to assist in medical head selection process

Karachi: A UK-based Indian doctor has been roped in by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to assist in the selection process of its medical panel head. The post of PCB’s medical committee chief became vacant after the resignation of Dr Sohail Saleem in the aftermath of the Pakistan Super League fiasco in March. A PCB official confirmed that an Indian doctor based in London and a UK-based Pakistani sports medicine specialist, Dr Zafar, are part of the recruitment process. Yes, the PCB acquired their expertise free of cost to help in the finalisation of a new medical panel head, an official said without giving the name of the Indian doctor. He said the two doctors have studied the qualifications of the candidates and also interviewed them before forwarding the name of the successful person to the PCB. We sought their expertise because we don’t have many qualified sports medicine specialists in the country and since the head of the PCB medical panel has to be qualified in this field they conducted the interviews. The official said the Indian doctor and Dr Zafar had done a lot of work with sports teams and athletes in England and were recognized as top professionals in the sports medicine field. Dr Sohail Saleem, the long-serving head of the PCB medical panel, was told to quit after the PSL 6 was suspended in March in Karachi in the aftermath of COVID-19 outbreak among the competing franchises due to breaches of the bio-bubble.