Lahore High Court Dismisses Mohammad Rizwan’s Petition Against Cybercrime Agency

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The Lahore High Court has dismissed Mohammad Rizwan’s writ petition challenging Pakistan’s National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency, directing him to respond to their queries
• Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq were both summoned by the NCCIA and questioned on 11 September, in a matter the petition itself described as relating to online betting and gambling in Pakistan cricket
• Imam has already submitted his responses to the agency’s questionnaire; Rizwan chose to challenge the summons in court instead

Mohammad Rizwan’s attempt to have the Lahore High Court quash Pakistan’s cybercrime agency’s jurisdiction over him has failed. The court dismissed his petition after a short hearing, directing the Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to respond to the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency’s queries.

Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq, two of the seven players sent home after Pakistan’s 194-run defeat to England at Lord’s, were both summoned to the NCCIA’s Lahore office on 11 September for questioning. Imam complied, filling out a questionnaire and returning it to the agency by the 15 September deadline. Rizwan instead filed a writ petition disputing the agency’s authority to question him at all.

What Rizwan’s Petition Argued

Rizwan’s petition, filed through his lawyers, made two central arguments. First, that the NCCIA had not specified which offence he was actually being investigated for. Second, that the matter, described in the petition as “purportedly in respect of online betting/gambling in the sports of Pakistan cricket,” fell outside the NCCIA’s jurisdiction entirely and belonged instead with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit.

“The ICC ACU is the body specifically constituted and mandated to receive, investigate and act upon allegations of corruption, including betting and spot-fixing, against players participating in international cricket, including the Petitioner,” the petition stated. It argued that no reference of the alleged conduct had been made to the ACU, and that without a specific offence identified, “the NCCIA’s assumption of jurisdiction is without lawful basis and amounts to an abuse of process.”

The petition also described the allegations against him as “absolutely misconceived, concocted, illusionary and vague.”

The Phone Confiscation Claim

Separately, the petition alleged that Rizwan’s mobile phone was taken from him shortly after the Lord’s Test. According to the petition, he was called to his hotel lobby at 1:00 AM, where an officer identified only as being from “some government agency” questioned him and confiscated his phone without explanation or written authorisation.

The petition states Rizwan handed the phone over on the understanding it would be checked and returned within three hours, but that it had not been returned “till date” at the time of filing.

The Petition Was Dismissed

Despite these arguments, the Lahore High Court dismissed the petition after a short hearing. Rizwan has been directed to respond to the NCCIA’s queries. It is not yet confirmed whether he intends to appeal the decision or comply with the agency’s questionnaire.

The Wider Context

This dispute sits alongside several other threads from Pakistan’s disastrous England tour. PCB separately announced its own internal disciplinary inquiry into “discipline and conduct” following media reports, without naming any players. PCB also sent a notice to the national selectors demanding a written explanation for Rizwan and Imam’s selection for the West Indies and England tours, a process that led to selector Misbah-ul-Haq’s resignation.

Imam was separately barred, along with Rizwan, from playing in the President’s Trophy after both failed to undertake PCB’s now-mandatory fitness tests for domestic cricketers. Imam had been named captain of OGDCL and Rizwan vice-captain of SNGPL for the tournament before their exclusion.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, defending the original squad changes, said factors “beyond performance” were involved without elaborating further: “We have had a discussion to ascertain the reasons behind it. They include factors beyond performance and we will get to the bottom of it.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened with Mohammad Rizwan’s petition against the NCCIA? The Lahore High Court dismissed it after a short hearing, directing Rizwan to respond to the agency’s queries.

Why was Mohammad Rizwan questioned by the NCCIA? His own petition described the matter as relating to online betting and gambling in Pakistan cricket, though the specific allegation against him has not been publicly detailed.

Did Imam-ul-Haq also face the same investigation? Yes. Both players were summoned on 11 September. Imam submitted his questionnaire responses by the 15 September deadline; Rizwan challenged the NCCIA’s jurisdiction in court instead.

Has Mohammad Rizwan been charged with anything? No formal charge has been publicly confirmed. This report reflects the dismissal of his jurisdictional challenge, not a finding on the underlying allegations.

Is this connected to PCB’s own investigation? It is not officially confirmed whether the NCCIA matter is linked to PCB’s separately announced internal disciplinary inquiry into conduct following the England tour.

Source: ESPNcricinfo staff reports, published 11 and 16 September 2026