Pakistan Cricket Board Launches Inquiry Amid Tour Turmoil
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s troubled tour of England has taken another sharp turn, with the Pakistan Cricket Board launching an internal disciplinary inquiry after recalling seven players and two coaches midway through the three-test series.
The PCB has not named the players under investigation, but the move comes amid intense scrutiny over discipline and conduct in a camp already shaken by heavy defeats and sweeping mid-series changes.
PCB moves behind closed doors
In a brief but pointed statement, PCB media director Amir Mir confirmed that an internal process is underway.
“The PCB has initiated an internal disciplinary inquiry following media reports concerning discipline and conduct, which are currently being reviewed internally,” Mir said on X on Monday, stressing that the matter is being handled under the board’s standard procedures and regulations, with “all concerned individuals” given due consideration.
Behind that formal language lies a storm of speculation.
Local media reports have zeroed in on star players Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan, claiming the board obtained data from their mobile phones before both were sent home. Geo News reported that the team’s security officer took possession of the pair’s phones after Pakistan’s 194-run defeat in the second test at Lord’s, and returned them only hours before their departure from the UK.
The PCB has not confirmed any such step. Mir pushed back strongly at the swirl of rumor.
“At this stage, any speculative reports or unverified claims circulating on certain platforms, particularly those originating from hostile external sources, should not be regarded as credible,” he said. “The Board advises stakeholders and the public to rely on official PCB communications.”
The message was clear: the board wants to keep the investigation in-house, away from the noise and conspiracy theories that so often surround Pakistan cricket.
A tour unravels
What began as a high-profile test series in England has quickly descended into upheaval.
Two brutal defeats — first at Lord’s, then at Headingley — triggered a dramatic, almost panicked response from the PCB. Seven players were told to fly back. The test coach was removed. The bowling coach was replaced. All this before a ball has been bowled in the third and final test at Edgbaston, which starts on Wednesday.
Sarfaraz Ahmed, in charge as test coach at the start of the tour, has been replaced by Mike Hesson. Bowling coach Umar Gul has made way for Ashley Noffke.
Noffke, who has been working with Pakistan’s white-ball setup for nearly 15 months, insisted he is not part of the disciplinary picture.
“I sit outside of that decision-making model,” he told reporters after a practice session at Edgbaston, making it clear his focus is on the cricket, not the boardroom.
Then came a telling line about life inside Pakistan cricket.
“There’s one thing that I’ve learnt about being in Pakistan and coaching for a period of time — nearly 15 months now with the white ball team — is there’s always something going on in the background,” he said. “And whether or not it’s in or out of our control, most of the time it’s out of the player’s control, they need to focus on the cricket that they have in front of them because there’s some really great opportunities here for young cricketers that are highly skilled.”
Drama in the background. Young talent in the foreground. That has long been Pakistan’s paradox.
Big calls, bigger backlash
The PCB’s decision to rip up the touring party midway through a series in England has split opinion at home.
Selector Aaqib Javed and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi have both defended the drastic changes, arguing that the team needed a jolt after two heavy defeats. Not everyone agrees. Former stars Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik are among those who have publicly criticized the timing and scale of the overhaul.
The list of departures underlines how deep the cuts have gone.
- Wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan
- Opening batter Imam
- Salman Ali Agha — who captained Pakistan in the first test
- Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad
- Left-arm spinner Ali Usman
- Allrounder Aamir Jamal
- Mohammad Awais
A team that arrived in England with a settled core and a defined leadership group now approaches the final test with a new coach, a reshaped squad and an inquiry hanging over unnamed players.
The cricket does not stop for any of it. Birmingham awaits. And in a series already overshadowed by off-field turbulence, Pakistan’s response in the third test will say plenty about where this team — and this board — is really heading.
