Under fire Imam, Rizwan barred from playing in President's Trophy

Dropped Pakistan internationals Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan have been barred from playing in the President’s Trophy Grade-I domestic first-class tournament, which starts across four venues on Saturday.

Dawn understands that the duo, who were questioned by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Thursday following a complaint lodged by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), have been restricted from joining their respective teams until the probe against them is settled.

Imam was named captain of the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) side, while Rizwan was included as vice-captain of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) team in the squads announced by the PCB on Thursday.

According to sources, the two players would not have been eligible to play in the opening round of the tournament anyway as they did not participate in a mandatory fitness test held ahead of the competition.

However, the departments concerned have reportedly been told that the two players should not be allowed to play “until the end of the investigation”.

The development comes after Imam and Rizwan appeared before the NCCIA in connection with an investigation into alleged leaks from Pakistan’s dressing room during the ongoing Test tour of England.

The two were among seven players who were called back home following Pakistan’s defeats in the first two Tests, leaving England with an unassailable lead in the three-match series.

While five players were dropped for cricketing reasons, Imam and Rizwan’s withdrawal from the Pakistan squad was followed by reports that their mobile phones had been confiscated by PCB officials.

The board subsequently confirmed the launch of an “internal inquiry” against the two players.

Earlier, national selector and PCB director of high performance Aaqib Javed had said Imam would also be investigated for not coming out to bat during either innings of Pakistan’s second Test against England at Lord’s, which the visitors lost by 194 runs.

Aaqib’s comments came in the aftermath of the PCB’s wholesale changes following the second Test, which also saw the sacking of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, amid speculation that Imam had been fit enough to bat.

On Thursday, a PCB spokesperson acknowledged reports regarding an NCCIA probe involving certain cricketers, but said the board would not comment while the inquiry was ongoing.

However, a source privy to the development told Dawn that both cricketers appeared at the NCCIA office in Lahore after being summoned through notices and were questioned by investigators for around four hours.

According to the source, both players told investigators that their cellphones were already with the NCCIA and that the agency could carry out forensic examinations of the devices.

Both players have also reportedly sought more time to submit written responses to the investigating agency.

“The inquiry will focus on alleged leaks from the dressing room during the England series,” the source had said.