Islamabad [Pakistan], September 7 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed that internal disciplinary inquiry had been started after reports about “discipline and conduct” following media allegations that investigations between batters Imam ul Haq and Mohammed Rizwan had widened.
As per a statement from PCB media director Amir Mir, the board is reviewing matters related to “discipline and conduct” internally, and the process was being done as per its regulations.
“The PCB has initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally,” he said as quoted by Dawn.
“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,” he added.
The statement came after a report from Geo News that data had been obtained from mobile phones of two aforementioned players as a part of investigation into their activities and contacts while they stayed in London for the second Test against England at Lord’s, which they lost by 194 runs, causing PCB to do a squad overhaul, releasing several players, including Rizwan and Imam and the head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul from the squad ahead of the third Test from September 9 onwards.
As per the report, the phones of these two players were seized by the team’s security officer after the loss at Lord’s and returned several hours later after their data was allegedly transferred elsewhere.
PCB has not confirmed in any official statement that it seized players’ phones or obtained their data. Similar details have been carried out by other outlets, citing reports.
PCB’s media director on Monday cautioned against treating such unverified reports as legitimate.
“At this stage, any speculative reports or unverified claims circulating on certain platforms, particularly those originating from hostile external sources, should not be regarded as credible,” he said.
PCB has declined to offer any further details, saying that no comments will be given till process is ongoing.
In the aftermath of Lord’s Test, PCB released seven players from the squad, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. The PCB roped in Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan’s white-ball coaching set-up as head coach and bowling coach, respectively.
In their place, Pakistan brought in five uncapped players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal. The five uncapped players added to the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah.
Imam’s absence during the Lord’s Test had become controversial. While he could not bat both the innings due to a low-grade calf strain, he was still taking throwdowns on day four of the Test with a taped calf, leading to speculations if the injury was real or not. In his absence, Pakistan was dismissed for 110 and 194.
Aaqib Javed, the national selector and PCB’s high-performance director, called for an investigation into his injury and hinted that an action would be taken. The PCB’s latest statement has not named Imam or Rizwan, nor has it described the full nature of the investigation.
The statement also said that everyone should rely on PCB’s official communication channels regarding the matter. (ANI)
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