Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court challenging the summons that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) issued to him after he appeared before the agency last week.
Rizwan, along with fellow Pakistan batter Imam-ul-Haq, was summoned by the NCCIA for questioning in the aftermath of Pakistan’s 3-0 Test series defeat in England. Rizwan has raised questions about the nature of the investigation and the NCCIA’s jurisdiction in his response While Imam is understood to have submitted his responses through an intermediary before the September 15 deadline. Rizwan and Imam were among seven players dropped from Pakistan’s squad and sent home following the team’s 194-run defeat to England in the second Test at Lord’s. Pakistan had lost the opening Test by an innings and 103 runs.
Both players appeared at the agency’s Lahore office last Thursday and were subsequently given multi-page questionnaires to complete and return, according to Cricinfo. The PCB announced last week that it had “initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally”. The board said the process was being “conducted under PCB regulations”, according to Cricinfo.
The PCB subsequently made wholesale changes to the squad, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed. Seven replacements were sent to England, including five uncapped players. Imam, meanwhile, was diagnosed with a grade-one tear in his left calf after the opening day’s play at Lord’s and did not bat or take the field during the match. Pakistan’s chief selector and director of high performance Aaqib Javed had publicly questioned the nature of the injury and indicated that it would be investigated. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had also suggested that factors beyond performance were being examined while explaining the squad changes. “We have had a discussion to ascertain the reasons behind it. The selection of Rizwan and Imam for Pakistan’s tours of the West Indies and England also came under scrutiny, with the PCB issuing a notice to a member of its selection committee seeking a written explanation over their selection and the process followed. Misbah-ul-Haq, one of the selectors, subsequently resigned from his position following the changes to the Pakistan squad.
They include factors beyond performance and we will get to the bottom of it,” said Naqvi, as per Cricinfo.
