New Delhi: Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has come under investigation over alleged match-fixing allegations. The Lahore High Court has refused to halt the investigation against him. Rizwan’s mobile phone has also been seized, although the exact reason for the seizure has not been clarified. He was also not served with any written notice in this regard.

After the conclusion of the Lord’s Test on August 30, Rizwan was reportedly woken up at around 1 a.m. in his hotel room in London. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) anti-corruption officer Colonel Akhtar asked him to come downstairs and specifically instructed him to bring his mobile phone.

An official from Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was also present. When Rizwan came downstairs, a team official introduced him to the FIA officer and advised him to cooperate with the investigation. Rizwan was asked several questions related to betting and online gambling. Despite repeatedly objecting, his mobile phone was seized.

Rizwan was not told what allegations had been made against him, what incident was being investigated, why he was being treated as a suspect, or under what legal authority his phone had been seized.

In a petition filed before the court, Rizwan said that immediately after the Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan, played from August 27 to 30, he was called to the lobby of the hotel where the entire team was staying at around 1 a.m. He said an official from a government agency was present there and that he had not been informed about the matter beforehand.

According to the petition, the official questioned Rizwan and seized his mobile phone without giving any reason. Rizwan said he handed over his phone on the assurance that it would be returned within three hours after a complete examination of the device. However, despite the assurance, the phone has not yet been returned and is currently in the possession of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which is investigating the matter.

In his petition before the Lahore High Court, Rizwan also alleged threats, blackmail and harassment. He argued that the seizure of his phone without legal authority, keeping it in custody for an indefinite period, issuing a vague notice without specifying any offence or relevant legal provision, providing an irrelevant questionnaire, and refusing to provide the complaint or related material indicate an attempt to harass, intimidate and blackmail him rather than a genuine exercise of legal powers.

The PCB has also stopped Rizwan from speaking to the media on two occasions. According to a source, Rizwan says he is not making any complaint against any individual, the PCB, FIA, NCCIA or Pakistan. He also maintains that there is no evidence of corruption against him.

In its recent statement, the PCB said that the board deals with such matters as part of its normal procedures. According to the statement, the process is being carried out under PCB regulations to ensure that the matters concerning all relevant individuals are properly addressed. The board further said that, at this stage, speculative reports and unverified claims circulating across various platforms, particularly information originating from hostile external sources, should not be considered reliable.