Pakistan Cricket Players Under Cyber Crime Investigation
Pakistan cricket’s turbulent summer has taken another sharp turn, with Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq now drawn into a cyber crime investigation after already being sent home from the England tour.
Phones seized, questions mounting
According to Geo News, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has summoned Rizwan and Imam for questioning after obtaining data from their mobile phones. The devices were first taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and then handed over to the relevant authorities.
The NCCIA has issued formal notices to both players and will examine information retrieved from their phones as part of an ongoing inquiry. A third Pakistan cricketer has also reportedly received a notice, underlining the widening scope of the investigation.
What triggered the PCB to seize the players’ phones in the first place remains unexplained. The board has yet to offer any official reason, leaving a vacuum filled only by speculation and unease around an already fragile setup.
Fallout from Lord’s defeat deepens
This latest twist comes hard on the heels of Pakistan’s bruising 194-run defeat to England at Lord’s, a result that prompted sweeping changes to the Test squad and backroom staff.
In the immediate aftermath of that loss, the PCB released seven players from the touring party and sent them back to Pakistan. Rizwan and Imam were among those cut adrift, alongside Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
The axe did not stop with the players. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also relieved of their duties. The PCB turned to its white-ball setup for a reset, installing Mike Hesson as head coach and Ashley Noffke as bowling coach to take charge of the Test side.
One heavy defeat has spiralled into a full-scale overhaul. Now the story has moved from the dressing room to the desks of cyber crime investigators.
Selection under the microscope
While the NCCIA probes the digital trail, the PCB is running its own parallel inquiry into how Rizwan and Imam were picked in the first place.
Earlier this month, the board formally questioned a member of its Selection/Advisory Committee over the recommendation to include both players in the Test squads for the tours of the West Indies and England. In a notice dated August 31, the PCB demanded a written explanation within 24 hours.
The committee member was asked to spell out the selection criteria, performance benchmarks and any other factors used to justify Rizwan and Imam’s inclusion. The board labelled the matter “urgent and of utmost importance,” a phrase that underlines just how far this has moved beyond routine selection review.
So the picture is stark. Two senior players sent home after a heavy defeat. Their phones seized and now under scrutiny by the NCCIA. Their very selection questioned in writing by their own board.
For Pakistan cricket, this is no longer just about a bad day at Lord’s. It is about trust, governance and the direction of a team caught between the crease and a storm of its own making.
