Pakistani cricketer Ehsanullah, who made headlines after initially announcing his retirement following his exclusion from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) draft, has now revealed the full story behind his injury and recovery.
In a special interview on Samaa News, Ehsanullah shared that he is confident of regaining full fitness within four months. He expressed his intent to perform well in upcoming leagues such as the National T20, Sindh Premier League, and KPK League, aiming to prove himself once again to all franchises.
Describing the sequence of events leading to his injury, Ehsanullah explained that during his time playing in the PSL, there were no restrictions on him, and he was actively training. He was selected for the Afghanistan series, but the team lacked a masseur. In Sharjah, he put extra strain on his elbow and shoulder. Upon returning to Pakistan, he informed the PCB about the exhaustion in his elbow and shoulder, fearing that it could break if not treated soon.
After the Afghanistan series, Ehsanullah was selected for the New Zealand series, where he felt pain in his elbow during his second day of training. Initially, no one realized that a bone fragment had broken inside. An MRI was done, but it didn’t show any issues. However, when he lifted weights in the gym, the pain worsened, and his arm couldn’t bend or straighten.
Ehsanullah expressed his gratitude to Dr. Sohail, who identified the issue after seven weeks of rehab. A CT scan eventually revealed that a piece of bone had broken. He explained that during his surgery in Lahore, a screw was inserted to hold the bone in place. Despite rehab efforts, his arm wasn’t improving.
When selected for the PSL, Ehsanullah was called by Ali Tareen, where Dr. Javed Mughal examined him and expressed concern about his inability to straighten his elbow, deeming him unfit to play in the PSL. Subsequently, Ali Tareen decided to send him to England, where the doctor suggested that if surgery was performed to loosen the screw, the arm would still remain slightly bent, at a five-degree angle.
However, Ehsanullah credited Dr. Iftikhar, his physiotherapist, for his remarkable recovery. Without surgery, Dr. Iftikhar helped bring the angle from 18 degrees to just five degrees in only 11 weeks. Ehsanullah expressed immense gratitude to Dr. Iftikhar, calling him the best physiotherapist he had ever encountered in his life.
