The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given former Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan permission to play domestic cricket, according to sources. Rizwan is expected to feature in the President’s Trophy starting Monday, after receiving clearance from the PCB, and will represent Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in the tournament.
The development comes as Rizwan is involved in a case being examined by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). He appeared before the agency in October over allegations of online betting, gambling and leaking team information from the dressing room during the Test series in England earlier this year.
NCCIA questioning and a notice under Section 160
Rizwan, 34, was served a notice by the NCCIA under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code. He spent more than three and a half hours being questioned by four NCCIA officials, and neither he nor any agency official was willing to answer media queries as he left the office.
Asked about the conduct of the officials, Rizwan smiled and said they had behaved well. He then said he was hungry and left the venue.
Confiscated phone and unanswered questions
The NCCIA had reportedly confiscated Rizwan’s mobile phone in England on August 30, over information it considered secret. The agency had promised to return the device within three hours, but it had not been handed back before the player was summoned for questioning on Friday.
It is still unclear whether the phone has been returned, and there is no information on whether the agency will summon the player again. It is learnt that Rizwan was called in for face recognition, which is needed for daily forensic work on the phone.
