LHC Dismisses Rizwan’s Plea Against NCCIA Notices, Directs Him to Respond to Agency

The Lahore High Court on Thursday turned down Mohammad Rizwan’s petition challenging notices issued to him by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), with Chief Justice Aalia Neelum directing the wicketkeeper-batter to appear before the agency and formally respond to its notice instead.

Rizwan’s counsel, Qazi Umair Ali, argued before the court that the allegations against his client were baseless, stating that Rizwan had been summoned to a hotel lobby after the Lord’s Test and questioned without being formally served a notice. He told the court that Rizwan’s mobile phone was taken into custody during that process on assurance it would be returned within three hours but had still not been handed back, a delay he described as evidence of bad faith on the agency’s part.

The lawyer further contended that the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit, not the NCCIA, was the appropriate body to investigate corruption-related allegations against cricketers, noting that no matter involving Rizwan had actually been referred to the ICC unit.

Justice Neelum, however, was unimpressed that the lawyer had not brought the case file to court and pointed out that Rizwan had already complied once with an NCCIA summons on September 10. Questioning why he was now approaching the court, she instructed him to go to the agency, present his position, and respond to the notice, after which the petition was dismissed.

What the NCCIA is probing

The agency’s notice cites an ongoing inquiry into online betting and gambling. Rizwan had contested the notice on grounds that it failed to specify any concrete allegation or explain what illegal activity he was suspected of, adding that his repeated requests for clarification during his appearance went unanswered.

Rizwan, along with Test opener Imam-ul-Haq, had appeared before the NCCIA at its Johar Town office in Lahore earlier this month, where the two were questioned for roughly two hours as part of a probe into alleged leaks of information from the Pakistan dressing room during the Test series in England. Sources said investigators also asked about the players’ contacts and meetings during practice sessions and matches.

Officials are reportedly conducting forensic analysis of both players’ phones, along with a review of their financial transactions, messages and contacts. No formal findings have been announced against either player. Rizwan has since submitted a written response to the NCCIA seeking clarification on why he was summoned and why his phone has not been returned.

Backdrop: Test set-up overhaul

The inquiry follows a broader shake-up of Pakistan’s Test team after its losses to England. Rizwan and Imam were among seven players dropped from the squad following the defeat at Lord’s, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed.

Separately, the PCB has sought written explanations from its selection committee over the inclusion of Rizwan and Imam in the squads for the 2026 tours of the West Indies and England, after a board notice dated August 31 asked for details on the selection criteria and performance factors considered when the two were picked during a June 2 meeting.