NCCIA summons Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq over England tour leak probe

Three Pakistan players, including the veteran wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and opener Imam-ul-Haq, have been summoned by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Pakistan during the third Test of the ongoing series against England at Edgbaston, with the tourists losing the first two games at Headingley and Lord’s. 

Rizwan and Imam were among the seven players to be sent home from the England series loss after the Lord’s Test, where their batting fell like a pack of cards. After the first innings of the Edgbaston Test, they have failed to cross the 200-run mark in all five innings of the series.

Why NCCIA has called in Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq — What we know so far

The reports from Geo News have revealed that Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq would be asked to unlock their mobile phones, which would be put under investigation as part of a probe into the alleged dressing-room leaks during the United Kingdom trip.

“The sources said the investigation will focus on alleged dressing-room leaks during Pakistan's ongoing series against England. A third Pakistan cricketer has also reportedly received a notice from the agency.” The report addressed.

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Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Owais Zafar, Khurram Shahzad, and Aamer Jamal were the five other players to be sent home apart from Imam and Rizwan by the PCB, while the head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and the bowling coach Umar Gul were also released from their roles.

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In place of the seven players, the board brought five players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal. The upcoming five uncapped players are Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Arafat Minhas, and Razaullah.

Imam’s absence from the opening position of the Lord’s Test was incredibly controversial. He could not bat in either innings of the game due to a low-grade calf strain, as he was also seen to be taking throwdowns on the fourth day of the contest with a taped calf.

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Pakistan were dismissed for 110 runs and 194 runs in both innings of the encounter, losing the fixture by 194 runs. That came after their three-day defeat in an innings at Leeds, as most of their players were criticised for unprofessional conduct and discipline.