The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency will contact Mohammad Rizwan for further clarification before it finalises its investigation into the wicketkeeper-batter, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said. Speaking to reporters at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, Naqvi said the agency had briefed him on the case a few days earlier and the next step was to seek Rizwan’s answers to its remaining questions. “I think they will contact Rizwan, seek some clarifications and file the report,” he said, adding that he was unsure how long the process would take. No final findings have been announced against either player.
The case began after Pakistan’s Test series in England, a tour that ended in a 3-0 defeat and became one of the most difficult episodes in recent Pakistan cricket. England won the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs, the second at Lord’s by 194 runs, and the third at Edgbaston by eight wickets, completing a clean sweep across August and September.
After the Lord’s defeat, the board sent seven players home. Rizwan and Imam were among them, along with Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad and two others, while the head coach and bowling coach were also removed. Rizwan had scored 61 runs in four innings across the two Tests he played, while Imam made 42 in the first Test and then suffered a grade-one tear in his left calf at Lord’s, which kept him out of the rest of that match.
It was in the weeks after the tour that the investigation began. The NCCIA, which took over the work of the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime wing, opened an inquiry into alleged dressing-room information leaks, online betting and gambling activity, and suspicious financial transactions. The allegations have been reported, not proven, and no charge or finding has been made public. The agency took possession of the two players’ mobile phones for forensic examination, and Rizwan later sought clarification about the allegations and asked for his device to be returned.
Rizwan and Imam were questioned by the agency in Lahore, and Rizwan was called in again for more than three hours on 2 October. He also went to the Lahore High Court to challenge the summons, and on 17 September the court dismissed his petition while directing the agency not to harass him and allowing the inquiry to continue. Rizwan also wrote to the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit seeking clarity on the procedure, and has said he is cooperating fully and waiting for the process to finish.
While the inquiry has continued, both players have been allowed back into domestic cricket. They were first denied permission to play in the President’s Trophy, which began in September, and missed the opening rounds before the board cleared them for the final round. Rizwan captained Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited against Khan Research Laboratories, while Imam led Oil and Gas Development Company Limited against Ghani Glass. Both then made themselves available for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which began on 3 November, with Rizwan turning out for Peshawar and Imam for Multan.
Naqvi used the same appearance at the academy to set out his plans for the National Cricket Academy itself, announcing 31 January as the deadline for completing its redevelopment. The upgraded academy, he said, would have world-class training equipment and modern facilities, and it was already being used for extended training camps for emerging cricketers. He praised Aqib Javed, the board’s Director of High Performance, for his role in preparing the academy’s master plan and design, saying Aqib was bringing young players to the academy and working on their shortcomings so they would not have to learn basic skills when they joined a squad.
The chairman also backed the current selection committee, saying he was satisfied with its performance and expected positive results from its approach.
Naqvi also addressed the financial pressures on Pakistan Super League franchises, defending the league’s business model and saying owners had understood from the start that profitability could take time. “There is nothing that says they have to make money from the first day,” he said, adding that franchise owners were free to sell their teams if they could make a profit. His remarks came against a background of dispute over money owed within the league, with the board moving earlier this year to recover dues said to run into billions while franchises pressed for their share of the central pool. On central contracts, which expired on 31 July, Naqvi said new contracts would be announced within one to two days, an announcement that is already about three months late.
For now, the investigation remains the story that matters most. Rizwan is one of Pakistan’s most senior players, and the fact that the country’s cybercrime agency is examining his phone and his finances has hung over the team for two months. Naqvi’s update changes little on the substance: the agency still has to speak to Rizwan, and the report still has to be written. What it does confirm is that the process is nearing its end.
