Pakistan batsman Mohammad Rizwan’s recovery was ‘miraculous’

Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan’s recovery from a lung infection to play a valiant innings in the Twenty20 World Cup semifinal was termed “miraculous” 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.

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Saheer Sainalabdeen, a pulmonologist who hails from the south Indian state of Kerala, said it was Rizwan’s “faith in God” and desire to play for Pakistan that got the batsman through a severe chest infection.

“I must admit we did not expect his recovery to be so fast as it takes around five to seven days with the kind of condition that he came in with,” Sainalabdeen revealed.

“But because of his fit lifestyle, of course he is a sportsperson, he improved in two to three days and it was miraculous.”

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