Match-fixing concerns in Pakistan cricket? PCB investigates Rizwan & Imam ahead of 3rd Test vs England- Report

The match-fixing scandals seem to have returned to Pakistan cricket again during their ongoing three-match Test series against England, ahead of the third encounter at Lord’s, which is scheduled to begin on September 09 at Edgbaston. The board decided to drop seven players from the current squad and replace them.  

Apart from this, Pakistan also decided to release their head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul from their duties ahead of the third Test and brought in their white-ball coach, Mike Hesson, as the interim coach for the third game.

Why is the "ghost of match-fixing" back to haunt Pakistan cricket during the England series?

The Times of India (TOI) reported that the drastic changes to be made within Pakistan cricket were driven by reasons that went beyond the game and were not solely a fallout of the team’s poor performance with the bat and ball.

The Babar Azam-led side has failed to cross 200 runs in all four innings of the series so far, which has never allowed them to put pressure on the opposition side. They reached out to the concerned parties reportedly for a comment, including the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and PCB.

More than 72 hours later, they received no response. However, Amir Mir, the board director and head of digital communications, issued a public statement.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board has initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally.”

“The PCB handles such matters in accordance with its standard procedures. The process is being conducted under PCB regulations, ensuring that all concerned individuals are given due consideration.”

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The PCB director of High Performance, Aaqib Javed, launched a scathing attack on opening batter, Imam-ul-Haq, who suffered a low-grade calf tear at Lord’s. He criticised Imam for not batting in either.

“The Imam injury is a big question mark, and a deep disappointment. Players in the past used to get injuries, but they used to put on casts and still tried to play. We'll take action against this. How is it possible that a pulled muscle ruled you out of batting in both innings?” Javed expressed in a statement.

“He should have tried and fought. He'll have to face an inquiry; I can't say he faked it, but a muscle pull like that cannot stop you from batting altogether.” He put in a statement.

PCB sends Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and five others home after Lord's defeat

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has included the two capped players, batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, while the uncapped group comprises pace-bowling all-rounders Razaullah Khan and Mohammad Imran, left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas, wicketkeeper Saad Baig and left-arm pacer Mohammad Imran Junior.

See Also: Watch: PCB seizes Pakistan players' mobile phones in London as investigation into England Tests continues

PCB dropped their two veteran players- Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha- along with Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Zafar.

The players’ devices have been handed over to the PCB and will be in the board’s custody until the end of the final Test. The report didn’t disclose the identities of the players, while the board hasn’t explained why the devices were taken into custody.