Musheer ‘fine’, grateful for ‘second life’ after car crash
NewsThe Mumbai allrounder has put out an Instagram video alongside his father, reassuring fans that he is on the road to recovery
Musheer Khan scored 181 in the Duleep Trophy earlier this month  •  PTI
Musheer Khan is on the road to recovery after suffering “a fracture in the neck region” in a road accident on the outskirts of Lucknow on Friday. On Sunday evening, Musheer and his father-coach Naushad Khan put out a video on Instagram reassuring his fans that he was out of danger and recovering.
“First of all, I thank god for granting us this new life, and thank all the people who prayed for us, all our well-wishers, fans, our relatives,” Naushad said. “I also want to thank the MCA [Mumbai Cricket Association] and the BCCI who are taking full care of Musheer, and they will give you whatever updates there are in the future. I just want to say, one needs to persevere to get what one couldn’t, and to be grateful for what one has got. This is life.”
Musheer, standing next to his father with a brace around his neck, added: “First of all I want to thank almighty Allah for granting me a new life. I’m fine as of now, and abbu [father] was with me [in the crash], and he’s fine too. I just want to thank all of you for your blessings.”
Musheer, the Mumbai allrounder and younger brother of India batter Sarfaraz Khan, was en route to Lucknow from Azamgarh, his hometown, for the Irani Cup game between Mumbai and Rest of India, which begins on October 1, when he met with the accident. The SUV carrying him, his father and two others collided with a median and toppled, ESPNcricinfo learnt from eyewitness accounts and a member of the traffic directorate of Lucknow Police.
An MCA statement issued on Saturday confirmed the injury and said “he remains stable, conscious, and well-oriented”. A statement from the hospital he was admitted in said Musheer was “out of danger.”
“Once Musheer is deemed medically fit for travel, he will be flown to Mumbai for further evaluation and additional medical treatment,” the MCA statement said. “The timeline for his recovery will be determined following these assessments.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) medical teams are closely monitoring his progress to ensure he receives the best possible care.”
Once back in Mumbai, Musheer is expected to be taken to a BCCI-mandated hospital for a detailed assessment.
Musheer was set to represent Mumbai, the Ranji Trophy champions, in the first-class Irani Cup fixture that will be played at the Ekana Stadium. After the Irani game, Mumbai will begin their Ranji campaign on October 11 against Baroda.
The injury comes as a setback for Musheer following a fantastic start to his first-class career; he has three centuries and a half-century in nine first-class games. This includes a double-hundred in last season’s Ranji Trophy quarter-final, a half-century in the semi-final and a match-winning century in the final against Vidarbha.
Earlier this month, he began the new domestic season with 181 in the Duleep Trophy against a strong India A attack comprising Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed and Kuldeep Yadav.
Sarfaraz, meanwhile, has been released from the India Test squad in Kanpur to participate in the Irani Cup. Sarfaraz’s availability for Irani was subject to him not being picked in India’s XI for the ongoing Test against Bangladesh.
The MCA is yet to name cover for Musheer in the Irani squad led by Ajinkya Rahane.
Sunday, September 29, GMT 1330 The story was updated after Musheer put out his Instagram video
Nikhil Sharma is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Hindi
