'Had I reached the hospital 20 minutes late, both my windpipes would have burst': Rizwan shares chilling ICU details
Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan, who made a full recovery, has shared details of the seriousness of the injury and recalled what he was told by the nurses upon admission.
Shortly after Mohammad Rizwan played a heroic innings of 67 against Australia in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup, images of the Pakistan opener laying in a hospital bed emerged. During the mid-innings interval, batting coach Matthew Hayden revealed in an interview to the host broadcaster that Rizwan was ill even until the day before the match but managed to muster the courage to turn up for the crunch tie.
Rizwan was hospitalised and remained in the ICU due to a severe chest infection. He had been suffering from intermittent fever, persistent cough, and chest tightness for 3-5 days before being hospitalised. After the tests were conducted, the results confirmed that Rizwan had severe laryngeal infection leading to an esophageal spasm and bronchospasm.
The Pakistan batter, who made a full recovery, has shared details of the seriousness of the injury and recalled what he was told by the nurses upon admission.
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"When I reached the hospital, I wasn't breathing. And the nurses told me that my windpipes were choked. They were not telling me anything. I was told that I would get better by morning and discharged. During the afternoon, I was told that I will be discharged in the evening. So, I asked one of the nurses and then I was told that had it been late in reaching the hospital by 20 minutes, both my windpipes would have burst. You will have to be there for two nights or more," Rizwan told Cricket Pakistan.
Rizwan was treated by an Indian doctor, who was astonished by the batter's recovery. The Pakistan batter revealed that the entire time, playing the semi-final was always on his mind, and its motivation played a massive role in Rizwan getting back on his feet.
"They used to conduct regular tests but the constant thought in my mind was that I'll soon get fit to play the match. The doctor told me that he wanted me to play the semi-final for Pakistan which gave me a boost. But later, when he told me that 'Rizwan, you are not in a condition to play'… that took me back a little. He told me there are risks involved. Thankfully, things started getting better and I was able to make a quick recovery," added Rizwan.
