Sohail rubbishes black magic theory, says injury forced him out of SA

Pakistan batsman Haris Sohail Friday rubbished reports that he was under a spell of black magic, saying he returned midway through the South Africa tour due to a knee injury.

"Such reports have also disturbed my family a lot. I have faced a knee injury problem again and that is why I had to miss the Test series in South Africa," Sohail said.

A section of the Pakistan media had claimed that the return of Sohail was linked to supernatural encounters.

The batsman has been facing such questions ever since a reported "spooky" experience in his hotel room in Christchurch during the 2015 World Cup.

The Pakistan Cricket Board also made it clear that Sohail had a knee problem and he would start his rehabilitation program at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore from Monday under the supervision of doctor Sohail Saleem.

"The disappointment of missing out on the Tests was compounded by some misreporting in a section of the press. I want to assure all my fans, colleagues and selectors that I am fully committed to my cricket and the Pakistan team, and will leave no stone unturned during my rehabilitation programme so that I am back on the field fully fit," Sohail said in a statement released by the PCB.

Sohail said he was hopeful he would recover completely from the injury in four weeks' time.

"It's never a great feeling to cut short an international tour due to an injury. It was actually heartbreaking as I was looking forward to the Tests, until I had a recurrence during my innings of 73 against Cricket South Africa invitation XI building up to the Centurion. Test," Sohail said.