Mohammad Rizwan has spoken publicly for the first time since appearing before Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), with the wicketkeeper-batter saying he is cooperating with the ongoing inquiry and awaiting its conclusion.
Rizwan and fellow Pakistan batter Imam-ul-Haq have come under investigation following Pakistan’s recent Test tour of England. The inquiry concerns alleged leaks of information from the Pakistan dressing room and other matters connected with the tour.
Addressing the investigation for the first time, Rizwan told Samaa TV: “I am fully cooperating with the investigation. I am waiting for the investigation to be completed.”
Rizwan and Imam remain under investigation
As previously reported by cricexec, Rizwan and Imam appeared at the NCCIA’s Johar Town office in Lahore, where they were questioned for around two hours. Digital information recovered from their mobile phones has been subject to forensic and technical examination, while their financial activity around the England series has also been scrutinised.
The NCCIA has not officially confirmed allegations against either player. No timeline has been established for the completion of the investigation, leaving Rizwan awaiting the outcome after making his first public remarks on the process.
England tour brought major PCB changes
The investigation follows a difficult England series in which Rizwan and Imam were among seven players released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the second Test at Lord’s.
Rizwan scored 61 runs across four innings in the opening two Tests before returning home. The PCB also sent Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad back to Pakistan as part of the changes to the touring group.
Pakistan had lost the opening Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs before suffering a 194-run defeat at Lord’s. The team subsequently went down by eight wickets at Edgbaston to complete a 3-0 series defeat.
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi told Geo Network at the time: “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.”
Scrutiny extended beyond the England series
Questions have also been raised over the selection of Rizwan and Imam for Pakistan’s Test squads for the West Indies and England tours, with the selection process subsequently coming under PCB scrutiny.
Rizwan had scored 41 runs across two Tests in the West Indies before the England series. Prior to that tour, however, he had been Pakistan’s leading Test run-scorer since January 2024.
For now, Rizwan remains subject to the continuing NCCIA inquiry alongside Imam. His comments represent his first public response since appearing before investigators, with the process yet to reach a confirmed conclusion.
