Imam-ul-Haq will likely sit out the remainder of Pakistan’s Lord’s Test against England after scans confirmed a grade-1 tear in his left calf. Doctors have advised him to rest for ten days, which is a timeline that rules him out of any further batting duty in this match.
It is reported that the team sent Imam for scans at stumps on the opening day, and the results quickly revealed how serious the injury actually was.
How the Injury Unfolded at Lord’s
Imam left the field after tea on day one and hasn’t returned to action since, with Salman Agha stepping in as his substitute fielder. He didn’t walk out to bat in Pakistan’s first innings on day two either. The innings collapsed inside 38 overs as the visitors managed just 110 runs in reply to England’s 290. Team management had said before the second day’s play that Imam’s role in the match hinged entirely on how his calf responded to treatment.
Fast bowler Mohammad Ali dodged questions about the injury after stumps on day three, and told reporters he knew Imam’s status but that the medical panel would give a clearer answer. Imam did walk out before day four began and faced a handful of gentle throwdowns with his calf heavily strapped, but he moved awkwardly and limped off the ground shortly after, flanked by support staff.
Where the Tear Actually Started
The injury traces back to the Headingley Test, which Pakistan lost by an innings and 103 runs. Imam needed on-field treatment during that first innings and batted through the pain with his calf strapped, and eventually scored 42 runs and built a 91-run partnership with Abdullah Shafique for the third wicket.
Pakistan folded for 171 shortly after that stand broke, and the calf issue clearly hadn’t healed by the time the Lord’s Test began. Now, with the second innings looming, his likely absence adds another problem to a batting lineup already struggling to find its footing in English conditions.
What a Series Loss Would Mean for Pakistan
Pakistan face a daunting target after England built a 357-run lead through the first three days at Lord’s, and a defeat here would hand England their first Test series win since December 2024. It would also become Pakistan’s ninth loss in their last ten away Tests. It’s a run of results that keeps raising questions about the team’s form on foreign soil.
A series defeat in England would mark Pakistan’s second in a row on these shores, following the 1-0 loss during the Covid-affected tour back in 2020. The pressure on the squad, and on Imam’s recovery timeline, will only grow heading into the final Test.
The third and final match of the series starts on September 9 in Birmingham, which gives Imam close to two weeks to recover from the tear. Whether that window proves enough will depend on how his calf responds over the coming days, but for now, Pakistan will have to manage the rest of this Test without one of their frontline batters.
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