A lot more than cricket seems to be behind the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to send home seven players and replace two coaches on the tour of England ahead of the third Test. Multiple reports in Pakistan media are pointing towards a potential ‘fixing’ concerns involving the Pakistan team on the tour of England. The concerns were fuelled after the PCB reportedly confiscated the mobile phones of a few players. Though the names of the players have not been publicly revealed, it has been claimed that they were veterans Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq.
When the PCB initially decided to drop the likes of Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal, and Muhammad Awais Zafar from the squad, the team’s poor performance in the first two matches of the series was cited as the reason. The board also decided to relieve head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul of their duties as part of the overhaul.
Subsequently, seven players were drafted into the squad, including five who had not yet made their international debuts. Of these, the two capped players are batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal.
Pakistani media outlets have now reported that the plethora of changes within Pakistan cricket were driven by reasons that were “more than cricket” and were not limited to mere on-field performances.
The PCB’s Director of Media and Digital Communications, Amir Mir, fuelled speculation of potential misconduct within the team with a statement on social media.
“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,” his post on X (formerly Twitter) read.
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…
— Amir Mir (@AmirMirpcb) September 7, 2026
The statement from Amir came after Pakistani news portal Geo News, as quoted by Dawn, claimed that the PCB had obtained data from the mobile phones of two players, namely Imam and Rizwan. The data was collected by the board during an investigation into their activities and contacts while the team was staying in London for the three-match Test series.
Data Transferred From 2 Players’ Phones
It was further reported that Imam and Rizwan’s phones were taken into possession by the team’s security officer after the squad suffered a harrowing 194-run defeat against England at Lord’s. The devices were returned to the duo several hours after their data had reportedly been transferred to another device.
According to Pakistani outlet 365 News, devices belonging to several other players have also been seized by the PCB. The board intends to retain the phones until the conclusion of the final Test.
Following the announcement of mass sackings in the squad, PCB Director of High Performance, Aaqib Javed, issued a public statement regarding an upcoming inquiry involving Imam-ul-Haq, who did not bat in the second innings of the Lord’s Test due to injury.
“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 to play. 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. He’ll have to face an inquiry; I can’t say he faked it, but a muscle pull like that cannot stop you from batting altogether,” Aaqib said in an interview with Geo.
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