New Delhi: Pakistan’s England Tour is getting murkier by the day. First, they considered not allowing players to return to the field at Lord’s after Sky News broadcast an interview with jailed former PM Imran Khan’s sons. Second, they fired seven players and the team’s head coach after the series loss. Now they’ve confiscated the players’ phones on suspicions of match-fixing. It’s a never-ending loop of trouble and turmoil for the team.
Over the weekend, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) launched an internal inquiry into player discipline following media reports concerning the activities of batters Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan during the team’s England tour. Their mobile phones were reportedly taken into PCB custody after Pakistan’s defeat in the second Test, with data from the devices transferred before the players returned home, reportedly as part of routine procedures.
PCB Director of Media and Digital Communications Amir Mir confirmed that the board was reviewing the matter, urging the public to rely on official statements rather than unverified reports circulating from external sources.
“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,” Mir wrote on X.
According to Pakistani outlet 365 News, the phones will reportedly remain with the PCB until the third and final Test at Edgbaston, which begins on 9 September.
The investigation comes after major changes to Pakistan’s squad and coaching setup following their 194-run defeat to England at Lord’s, a result that gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The PCB released Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Zafar from the squad. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also sent home, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke brought in as their replacements.
Seven additional players were subsequently added to the squad for the Edgbaston Test. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have previous Test experience, while Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Razaullah and Mohammad Imran Junior are yet to make their Test debuts. Minhas, however, has already represented Pakistan in ODIs and T20Is.
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‘Worst cricket board’
Pakistanis cannot take the downfall of cricket in their country anymore.
“Mobile phones of players in PCB custody This is quite unbelievable. What is our cricket board Upto ? Surely the worst cricket board in last 70 years of our existence,” former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair wrote on X.
Given the joke it has become, a parody account on X added: “PCB has won more controversies than matches in this series”.
Former cricketer Tanveer called it a ‘shameful act’ symbolic of the fact that something of this scale has never occurred before.
Meanwhile, former cricketers Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Akhtar have also spoken up. Akhtar said the Pakistan Cricket Board has lost faith in the current squad and is increasingly looking toward a younger generation of players.
Haq questioned the country’s broader cricketing structure and criticised what he sees as unequal treatment of local and foreign coaches, calling on the board to adopt a long-term strategy rather than repeatedly making decisions in response to short-term setbacks.
Speaking on the “OutSide EDGE” programme, Akhtar suggested that the PCB’s plans go beyond simply responding to Pakistan’s disappointing Test series in England. According to him, the board is preparing for a significant overhaul of the national team.
In the show, he also recalled a conversation with a PCB official who, according to Akhtar, indicated that the board’s expectations now rested primarily with the next generation of players being prepared for international cricket. Haq, however, called for patience, proper evaluation and a coherent long-term plan.
Pakistanis have no hope left. They have moved on from even blaming Mohsin Naqvi anymore.
“I am done blaming Mohsin Naqvi for PCB’s screw ups. The buck does NOT stop at Naqvi; it stops with the Patron-in-Chief of the PCB who is the PM of Pakistan @CMShehbaz. Sir, something is awfully broken and it is on you to now fix it. Hybrid or not, you need to exercise your powers. We need a dedicated PCB Chairman and not a bits-and-pieces part-timer. Yes, that may not fix everything, but start tackling the problem one thing at a time, please!”, Pakistani cricket commentator Shahab wrote on X.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)