Mohammad Rizwan faces an uncertain situation, seemingly unaware of the specific grievances leveled against him, the identities of his accusers, or the reasons he has been drawn into an ongoing investigation. Mohammad Rizwan may be experiencing Kafkaesque predicament. He, seemingly, and even admittedly, is unaware what his fault is, who has leveled the charges against him and why he is being dragged into a situation of uncertain future, like the protagonist in Franz Kafka’s Trial.
The controversy began immediately following the conclusion of the Lord’s Test match played between England and Pakistan from August 27 to August 30, 2026. At around 1 am on August 30, Rizwan was awakened in his London hotel room and instructed by a PCB Anti-Corruption official, Col. Akhtar, to report to the hotel lobby while bringing his mobile phone along. Accessed by. “Immediately after the Lords Test Match held between England and Pakistan on 27.08.2026 to 30.08.2026, the Petitioner was summoned to the lobby of the hotel where the entire team was staying at 01:00 AM in the night, he recounted the incident in his appeal before the court.
Upon arriving downstairs, a team official introduced Rizwan to a representative of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency who was present at that late hour. Although the FIA operates under the Ministry of Interior headed by Mohsin Naqvi—who also serves as Pakistan Cricket Board chairman—Rizwan was pressed with questions concerning betting and online gambling before his handset was taken. There, an officer purportedly from some government agency was present.
Rizwan recounted in his appeal before the court that he handed over the device only on the assurance that it would be thoroughly inspected and returned within three hours. Despite that commitment, the phone was not given back and is now held by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. His phone has been confiscated and the exact reason has not been explained. “Needless to mention that the Petitioner (Rizwan) handed over his phone on the assurance that the device would be thoroughly checked and returned back to him within the next 3 hours.
In formal letters and legal petitions submitted to the Lahore High Court, Rizwan detailed that he received no written notice, formal demand, allegation, charge, warrant, receipt, or explanatory document regarding the seizure of his personal communication device. He described hesitating and declining several times because authorities failed to specify what wrongdoing he was suspected of committing or under what legal authority the phone was requested.
His legal filings allege intimidation, blackmail, and harassment, pointing to the indefinite retention of his phone without lawful authority, vague notices that omit violated provisions, and irrelevant questionnaires. He further maintains that the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit is the mandated body to investigate international cricket corruption, noting that no official reference regarding his conduct has been directed through those established channels.
The PCB has maintained an imprecise stance, stating only that an internal inquiry is proceeding under standard regulations to ensure all parties receive due consideration. Following the impoundment of his device, Rizwan and teammate Imam-ul-Haq were directed to board the next available flight back to Pakistan.
Once back in the country, Rizwan received a summons from the NCCIA to disclose details regarding his financial assets, bank accounts, and other monetary matters while his mobile phone remained withheld. He has also been barred from participating in the President’s Trophy Grade 1 First-Class tournament involving other returning players from the UK tour.
Seeking judicial intervention, Rizwan filed a petition before the Lahore High Court alleging unlawful actions, but the court declined to grant immediate relief. The court noted that it was appropriate at this stage to exercise caution and permit the competent agency to continue its inquiry, adding that any comparison to the 2010 spot-fixing scandal remains premature until the current investigation concludes.
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