Pakistan’s National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) questioned Imam-ul-Haq and Muhammad Rizwan in Lahore as the aftermath from Pakistan’s catastrophic Test visit of England persisted.
Following the loss in the second Test at Lord’s, the two were among the seven players removed from the Pakistani team and sent home. They received summonses to appear before the NCCIA. On Thursday, they made an appearance. It’s thought that at least one of the players spent many hours there.
What the questioning was about and whether it has anything to do with the PCB’s own investigation, which they announced earlier this week, are still unknown. The board stated that it had “initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally” but did not name any players at the time. According to the board, that procedure was “conducted under PCB regulations”.
A questionnaire has been distributed to at least one player, who must answer it and return it to the NCCIA the following week.
Seven players, along with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, were dropped from the squad at the conclusion of the Lord’s Test, which Pakistan lost by 194 runs after losing the first by an innings and 103 runs. Five of the seven players who traveled to England in their stead lacked international caps.
Rizwan’s batting performance during this trip was subpar, with scores of 12, 41, 7, and 1. He also had dismal results in two Tests in the Caribbean. On both trips, though, his glovework has been excellent, and he had been Pakistan’s top Test run scorer since January 2024 until the West Indies series.
After the first day of play at Lord’s, Imam was diagnosed with a grade-1 rupture in his left calf. As a result, he did not play in either of Pakistan’s innings. He came out to try some light knockdowns during pre-game warm-ups on the last morning, but he had physical difficulties. The PCB’s director of high performance and head selector, Aaqib Javed, publicly questioned Imam’s injury and threatened to look into it.
The PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, hinted at broader reasons at work without going into detail when explaining the squad changes. “We’ve had a conversation to find out why. They include elements other than performance, and we’ll find a solution.”
Following the Lord’s Test, the PCB sent selectors a note regarding the selection of both players for the West Indies and England tours. Within 24 hours of receiving the notice, they were required to submit a written explanation detailing the rationale for their selection and the methodology used. One of the selectors, Misbah-ul-Haq, quit after the squad was altered.
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