Pakistan Cricket Board Launches Inquiry Amidst England Tour Chaos

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s chaotic tour of England has taken another sharp twist, with the Pakistan Cricket Board launching an internal disciplinary inquiry after recalling seven players and two coaches midway through the series.

The PCB has not named the players under investigation, but the move comes on the back of two heavy Test defeats and a wave of speculation at home that has dragged the dressing room into the spotlight.

Inquiry in the shadows

PCB media director Amir Mir confirmed the probe in a statement on Monday, saying on X that an internal disciplinary process was underway following “media reports concerning discipline and conduct.”

He stressed the board was dealing with the matter through its “standard procedures” and under PCB regulations, insisting that “all concerned individuals are given due consideration.”

The intrigue deepened when local media reported that the PCB had obtained data from the mobile phones of Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan before both men were sent home. Geo News reported that the team’s security officer took possession of the phones after Pakistan’s 194-run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s, returning them only hours before the players flew out of the UK.

Mir pushed back against 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, urging fans and stakeholders to rely solely on official PCB communication.

Turmoil after heavy defeats

The disciplinary angle arrives on top of sweeping, mid-tour changes that have already split opinion across Pakistan’s cricket circles.

Stung by bruising defeats at Lord’s and Headingley in the first two Tests of the three-match series, the PCB reacted with a drastic overhaul. Seven players were ordered back home. Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed was replaced by Mike Hesson. Bowling coach Umar Gul was moved aside for Ashley Noffke.

It was a dramatic reset with one Test still to play.

Among the first to depart were wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan, opener Imam and Salman Ali Agha, who had captained the side in the first Test. Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and left-arm spinner Ali Usman, both used in the opening two matches, were also released. All-rounder Aamir Jamal and Mohammad Awais left without playing a single Test on the tour.

The scale and timing of the changes drew sharp criticism from former stars, including Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik, who questioned the wisdom of tearing up plans mid-series. Selector Aaqib Javed and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, though, have stood firmly behind the overhaul.

Noffke keeps his distance

Caught in the middle is Noffke, parachuted into a dressing room already under scrutiny and now overshadowed by talk of inquiries and confiscated phones.

The Australian, who has been working with Pakistan’s white-ball side for nearly 15 months, said he had no role in the disciplinary process and no detailed knowledge of it.

“I sit outside of that decision-making model,” he told reporters after a practice session at Edgbaston, where Pakistan are preparing for the third and final Test starting Wednesday in Birmingham.

He has, however, seen enough of Pakistan cricket to know that noise around the team rarely dies down.

“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,” Noffke said.

His message to the players was blunt: control what you can.

“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.”

A series on the brink

So Pakistan head into Birmingham with a new head coach, a new bowling coach, a reshaped squad and an internal inquiry hanging over unnamed players. Two heavy defeats have already exposed flaws on the field. The off-field storm now threatens to define the tour.

For a young group suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Edgbaston offers one thing they have been short of all tour: a chance to let the cricket speak louder than everything swirling around it.