The Pakistan Cricket Board confiscated mobile phones from Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq after the second Test defeat at Lord’s, extracted data from the devices, and launched an internal disciplinary inquiry. The move came as Pakistani media reported match fixing concerns surrounding both players during the England tour.
PCB Media Director Amir Mir confirmed the investigation on September 7.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board has initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally.”
Amir Mir, PCB statement, September 7, 2026
The phone seizure is the detail that elevates this beyond a standard squad shakeup. Cricket boards do not take devices from players over poor form. They do it when they suspect outside contact that should not exist.
Pakistan Cricket is under the cloud of fixing yet again with Mohd Rizwan and Imam Ul Haq being at the centre of it.
Usually, PCB is the last to know of such fixing scandals.
So, is it really the case or is it an attempt to shift focus from the diplomatic failure of PCB chair…— Rahul Rawat (@rawatrahul9) September 7, 2026
Pakistan lost the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs. They lost the second at Lord’s by 194 runs. After Lord’s, the PCB dropped seven players: Rizwan, Imam, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal, and Muhammad Awais Zafar. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were sacked. Five uncapped players were drafted in. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke took over as interim coaching staff for the third Test at Edgbaston.
The security officer confiscated phones from Rizwan and Imam after the Lord’s Test. Data was reportedly transferred from the devices before they were returned. Geo News reported that investigators reviewed the players’ “contacts in London,” their activities, movements, and communications. The phones were to remain in PCB custody until the third Test began.
Neither Rizwan nor Imam has made any public statement on the match fixing allegations.
A Pattern That Predates Lord’s
Imam-ul-Haq claimed a low-grade calf strain while fielding on Day 1 at Lord’s. He did not bat in Pakistan’s first innings, when they were bowled out for 110. He later batted at number five in the second innings and scored 60. The selective availability raised immediate questions.
Aaqib Javed, the PCB’s Director of High Performance and head of the selection panel, went public with his doubts on Geo.
“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. We’ll take action against this. How is it possible that a pulled muscle ruled you out of batting in both innings? He should have tried and fought.”
Aaqib Javed, Geo broadcast, September 2026
This was not the first time. Former chief selector Mohammad Wasim alleged that Imam has a documented history of fabricating injuries. Wasim pointed to a specific incident during the 2022 Multan Test.
“In the 2022 Multan Test, the physio had actually come to me and told me beforehand. The announcement hadn’t even been made yet, and the decision hadn’t even been made. And it happened exactly like that.”
Mohammad Wasim, former chief selector, September 2026
A prior PCB inquiry from the March 2025 New Zealand tour had already found that Imam allegedly “fabricated, exaggerated or misrepresented his symptoms and misled medical staff” after a ball struck his toe during a net session. That inquiry concluded he had deliberately made himself unavailable for an ODI.
The current investigation could result in a one to two year ban. Imam is reportedly consulting legal counsel and considering a defamation notice against Wasim.
Reports from Geo News and 365 News went beyond the injury controversy. They cited sources saying the PCB was examining “contacts” the players had in London, framing the inquiry as something larger than dressing room conduct. Pakistani media noted that boards typically examine devices only when suspecting match fixing.
Not everyone agrees the match fixing angle is real. An anonymous Pakistan cricket insider told 365 News that the entire episode is a diversion.
The same source dismissed the fixing claims outright, arguing that neither player is a match-winner who would attract fixers’ attention. The PCB’s own statement urged caution, with Amir Mir adding that “speculative reports or unverified claims circulating on certain platforms should not be regarded as credible.”
Rizwan, who managed just 61 runs across four innings at an average of 15.25 on the tour, was captured on video smiling and waving while walking to the team bus after the Lord’s defeat. Fans called it shameless. The optics compounded the anger.
“I’m not sure what is the logic or reasoning behind this decision of making so many changes after Lord’s defeat. Even the replacements make no sense, T20 players have been included for a Test match in England. What is this thinking and approach? Why has the coach been axed after five Test matches? This is the most shocking decision ever by a selection committee which includes so many experienced selectors.”
Shahid Afridi, former Pakistan captain, September 2026
The PCB also issued show-cause notices to members of the selection committee. Three players, Rizwan, Imam, and Salman Ali Agha, were ordered to appear before a PCB committee to explain their conduct during both the West Indies and England tours.
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Insider Read:
When a cricket board takes a player’s phone mid-tour, it is not checking screen time. It is running an anti-corruption protocol. The device seizure, the data extraction, the custody hold until the next match: this is the sequence that precedes formal investigations, not the sequence that follows a bad loss.
The last time Pakistan went through this during an England tour was 2010. That investigation began at Lord’s too. Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt, and Mohammad Asif were caught in a tabloid sting involving deliberate no-balls. All three received bans. Butt and Asif served prison sentences.
The difference in 2026 is who started it. In 2010, the News of the World forced the ICC’s hand with video evidence. In 2026, the PCB initiated the phone seizure and the inquiry before any external pressure. That could mean the board is acting on credible intelligence. It could also mean the board is manufacturing the appearance of action to distract from two of the worst Test defeats in Pakistan’s recent history. The inquiry will answer which one it is. The phone data will not lie.
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