Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 07: Pakistan cricket has come under fresh scrutiny after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) launched an internal disciplinary probe following reports concerning the conduct of players and team officials.
PCB spokesperson Amir Mir confirmed the enquiry on Monday, September 7. However, he did not provide the details of the allegations or identify any players involved.
Mir said, “The Pakistan Cricket board has initiated an internal disciplinary enquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed.”
The inquiry comes after a turbulent Test tour of England, where Pakistan lost the first two matches heavily. The team suffered an innings and 103 run defeat in the opening Test. They lost the second at Lord’s by 194 runs.
The PCB subsequently made sweeping changes to the squad and support staff. Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Zafar were dropped. Meanwhile, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coal Umar Gul were released.
Reports have since claimed that the PCB took possession of mobile phones belonging to some players, although the board has not confirmed the reports or explained the reason.
The developments have also revived memories of Pakistan’s 2010 spot-fixing scandal at Lord’s involving Salman Butt, Md Asif and Md Amir. However, the PCB has not said that the current enquiry is related to match fixing.
The board has warned against speculation and unverified claims circulating on social media and other platforms. It said further details would not be disclosed while the internal process is ongoing.
