The crisis surrounding Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq has deepened, with the two Pakistan cricketers summoned by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) as part of a probe into alleged team leaks. Both players were released from the Test squad after the Lord’s game in England last week and sent back home.
According to a report in Geo News, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took custody of the players’ mobile phones and handed them over to the relevant authorities.
Sources told the Pakistani media outlet that both players received notices on Monday, asking them to appear at the NCCIA’s Lahore office on Friday. They will reportedly be asked to unlock their phones so investigators can retrieve information from the devices as part of the inquiry.
The report said the investigation is linked to “alleged dressing-room leaks during Pakistan’s ongoing series against England”. A third Pakistan cricketer has also reportedly received a notice from the NCCIA.
The PCB has yet to make an official statement on the investigation or explain why the players’ phones were taken into custody.
The development comes after the PCB sent seven players and two coaches back home following Pakistan’s defeat to England at Lord’s in the second Test.
Rizwan and Imam were accompanied by Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Owais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were relieved of their duties. Five uncapped players were brought into the squad as replacements, while the two coaches were replaced by their white-ball counterparts.
The PCB later revealed that it was conducting an internal “disciplinary” inquiry into unnamed players following the Test squad rejig.
“The PCB has initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally,” its media director, Amir Mir, said on X on Monday.
“The PCB handles such matters in accordance with its standard procedures. The process is being conducted under PCB regulations, ensuring that all concerned individuals are given due consideration.”
