Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq were questioned by Pakistan’s National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Lahore on Thursday, September 10, as the fallout from Pakistan’s Test tour of England continued to widen. The two players were called up in relation to suspected dressing-room leaks, and were among seven who were dropped from the Pakistan squad and sent home after the defeat in the second Test at Lord’s.
Pakistan lost the second Test at Lord’s by 194 runs, having already lost the first Test by an innings and 103 runs. Following those results, seven players, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were all removed from the squad. Seven replacement players were called up, five of whom were uncapped at international level.
As reported by Cricinfo, both players received summons to appear before the NCCIA and duly did so. At least one of them is understood to have been at the agency’s offices for several hours. At least one of the players has also been given a questionnaire to complete and return to the NCCIA next week.
What is the PCB’s own inquiry and how does it relate to the NCCIA questioning?
It is not yet clear whether the NCCIA questioning is connected to the PCB’s internal inquiry or is a separate process entirely. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, in defending the squad changes, alluded to issues beyond on-field performance without providing specific details.
“We have had a discussion to ascertain the reasons behind it. They include factors beyond performance and we will get to the bottom of it,” Naqvi had said earlier.
The PCB also sent a notice to selectors after the Lord’s Test, asking for a written explanation of the reasons behind the selection of both Rizwan and Imam for the West Indies and England tours. Selectors were required to respond within 24 hours of receiving the notice. Selector Misbah-ul-Haq subsequently resigned from his post following the squad changes.
What were the specific concerns around Rizwan and Imam before the dropping?
Rizwan’s batting form during the England tour had been a concern, with scores of 12, 41, 7 and 1 across the two Tests. His dismissal for 1 in the second innings at Lord’s, described as an ungainly hoick, drew significant criticism. His keeping, however, had been considered exemplary on both the West Indies and England tours. Until the West Indies series, he had been Pakistan’s leading Test runscorer since January 2024.
Imam’s situation attracted separate scrutiny. He was diagnosed with a grade-1 tear in his left calf after the first day’s play at Lord’s and did not bat in either of Pakistan’s innings during the match. On the final morning, he came out during pre-game warm-ups to attempt some gentle knockdowns but struggled physically. Aaqib Javed, the PCB’s chief selector and director of high performance, publicly questioned the nature of Imam’s injury and warned at the time that an inquiry into it would follow.
