Pak player drinks soap solution by accident
It was a day of high drama at the T20 World Cup for the Blind on Saturday, with Pakistan's captain Zeeshan Abbasi accidentally consuming floor cleaning solution kept on the breakfast table at the hotel where the team is staying.
A day after leading his team to a victory against India, Abbasi—who is partially blind—had to be admitted to MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital.
Although he was discharged six hours later, allegations of foul play flew thick and fast. "Zeeshan had breakfast along with the rest of the team and the bottle containing the cleaning solution was there on the same table," Pakistan team manager Mohd Bilal Satti told journalists.
"Immediately after consuming the solution, he started vomiting. He complained of throat irritation, but decided to play Saturday's match against Bangladesh. He felt sick on the ground and we decided to take him to hospital. Why was the bottle on the breakfast table? It is a mistake made by the hotel staff and we hope they will find the culprit. If we get a satisfactory explanation, we will not pursue the matter, Satti said."
Though Movenpick Hotel & Spa general manager Biswajit Chakraborty admitted that it was a goof up by the hotel staff, he ruled out any foul play.
"Usually, all teams are served breakfast on the ground floor of the hotel. On Saturday, we decided to serve breakfast at our rooftop restaurant. Some of our housekeeping staff were cleaning the windows and in a slip-up, accidentally left a bottle containing soap detergent solution behind.
"Zeeshan took a sip from the bottle and realised something was wrong and immediately spat it out. He then personally came to the reception and informed us that he had accidentally consumed some liquid which was left in the dining area. We immediately apologised and offered him medical help which he refused. We have CCTV footage which clearly shows him coming to us with the bottle and clarifying the situation.
"No hotel uses acid for cleaning purpose and we use user-friendly chemicals. Besides, how can acid be stored in a plastic bottle? The visually impaired players were instructed that they should not consume anything from containers which are not sealed," said Chakraborty, adding that the housekeeper and his supervisor have been sacked.
Naresh Shetty, president of MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, said: "Zeeshan is in no trouble whatsoever. After he was brought to hospital, we immediately did an endoscopy and found no traces of anything poisonous.
"All his vital organs were stable. We could have discharged him immediately, but considering the gravity of the issue, did not want to take any chances. So, we decided to keep him under observation for about four hours. He is completely fine and can resume playing."
The situation calmed down by evening with Abbasi expressing enthusiasm about playing the rest of the tournament.
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