Shoaib Akhtar leaves for Australia for knee reconstruction

ISLAMABAD: Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar on Tuesday left for Melbourne, Australia to undergo a partial reconstruction of his right knee.

“Doctors are saying that I will have to undergo a six to seven hour surgery. Let us see what will they say when I reach there. How long the operation takes place and how much they want to implant?,” he said on his YouTube channel while onboard the Melbourne-bound plane.

The 44-year-old was of the view that as per medical rules any sort of knee replacement should not take place before one turns sixty. “It is unfortunate that it is taking place at this age.”

“I’ve been playing for Pakistan with pain in my knee. It has become necessary to go for its remedy now. I’ve left my family. I’ve left everyone and this is not a very happy feeling. But this is also important to get my knee sorted out,” Shoaib, who had over 1.5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel added.

The Rawalpindi Express, who took 178 wickets in 46 Tests besides grabbing 247 wickets in ODIs and 19 in 15 T20s, said that Pakistan was the most beloved country that he always loved from the core of his heart.

“Australians have (also) always admired me….always loved me and enjoyed my talent. I’ve been enjoying their hospitality and their love for me. They’ve snatched out me there once again,” he said while revealing that he had already undergone his left knee surgery.

He expressed the hope that he would be able to walk again in two to three weeks as the surgery was big as well as complicated. According to Shoaib in such kind of operation doctors paralyze one’s legs while injecting in the spine. He said he had undergone multiple operations but during his last left knee surgery he deeply felt for the people who lose limps after accidents.

He noted that several people in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka keep on moving on bikes and cars without taking precautionary measures. “Please drive carefully, wear your helmets (if you are on motorbikes) and safeguard your backs. Limbs are important, ask me.”

He told his fans that during the treatment phase, he would keep on sharing his videos with them. “I’ll ask doctors to make videos of my operation as how the knee is opened, what is inserted in that and how is done that.

“It is a painful process as you can’t sleep in first week after the operation. It appears as if someone has put a red burning rod in your knee,” he said.