Imam-ul-Haq Ban Row: Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed Also Made the Call, Claims YouTuber

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Cricket YouTuber Muhammad Furqan Bhatti claims Test captain Babar Azam, then-head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and the team doctor had jointly agreed Imam-ul-Haq would only bat if the Lord’s Test reached day four or five, or the game became close
• With PCB reportedly considering a two to three year ban on Imam, Bhatti argues Babar, Sarfaraz and the medical staff should face the same scrutiny, not Imam alone
• PCB has not confirmed this claim officially

A new claim is complicating the PCB’s reported plan to ban Imam-ul-Haq over his non-appearance with the bat at Lord’s. According to cricket YouTuber Muhammad Furqan Bhatti, the decision was not Imam’s alone. He names Test captain Babar Azam, then-head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and the team’s medical doctor as having jointly agreed that Imam would only return to bat under specific match conditions, if the game reached the fourth or fifth day, or became close enough to require him.

If accurate, that detail sits uneasily alongside recent public criticism from Aaqib Javed and former chief selector Mohammad Wasim, both of whom questioned why a calf strain alone kept Imam out of both innings entirely.

Related: Aaqib Javed questions Imam-ul-Haq’s injury after Lord’s Test

What Bhatti Claims Happened

Bhatti’s account names the specific individuals reportedly involved in the decision: Babar Azam as captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed as head coach at the time, and the team’s medical doctor. Under this version of events, Imam’s absence from the crease in both innings was the outcome of a pre-agreed plan built around in-match triggers, not a unilateral or last-minute call by the player himself.

This claim has not been confirmed by PCB or any official statement. It is being reported here as Bhatti’s account, based on his own sourcing, and should be treated as a claim requiring further verification rather than an established fact.

Source: Muhammad Furqan Bhatti, YouTube

Why the Accountability Question Matters

If PCB is genuinely considering a ban of two to three years against Imam, Bhatti’s argument is straightforward: responsibility cannot rest with the player alone if the decision was made jointly. Babar Azam as captain signed off on the plan, Sarfaraz Ahmed as coach was part of the same conversation, and the team doctor made the medical call that underpinned it. Under this account, all three would need to answer for the same decision a ban would hold Imam solely responsible for.

This directly complicates the narrative built by Aaqib Javed and Mohammad Wasim’s public criticism, both of whom framed the situation as a question about Imam’s individual conduct rather than a team decision involving senior leadership.

What Remains Unconfirmed

PCB has not issued any statement addressing Bhatti’s specific claim. No official confirmation exists of a scenario-based batting agreement, nor has PCB confirmed the reported ban itself. Until PCB responds directly, this remains one YouTuber’s account, sourced independently, set against the public criticism already levelled at Imam by board-aligned voices.

Source: Muhammad Furqan Bhatti, YouTube. Claims attributed to the video are reported here for context and have not been independently verified by Khelo Pakistan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did PCB confirm Imam-ul-Haq’s non-batting was a planned decision? No. This claim comes from cricket YouTuber Muhammad Furqan Bhatti and has not been confirmed by PCB, Babar Azam, or Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Is PCB planning to ban Imam-ul-Haq? Reports suggest a ban of two to three years is under consideration, though this has not been officially confirmed by PCB.

Who else does the claim say was involved in the decision? Babar Azam as Test captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed as head coach at the time, and the team’s medical doctor are all named in Bhatti’s account.