Pakistan international cricketer Mohammad Rizwan has intensified his legal pushback against the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). In a formal piece of correspondence, Rizwan has urged the agency to comply with the directives issued in a recent ruling by the Lahore High Court, pressing authorities to explicitly define the nature of the ongoing inquiry and return his long-withheld personal mobile phone.
The controversy stems from events that transpired on August 31 in England, immediately following Pakistan’s disappointing Test defeat at Lord’s. During that period, Rizwan—alongside teammate Imam-ul-Haq—became the target of an NCCIA investigation, leading to their abrupt recall to Pakistan. On the day his device was taken, Rizwan voluntarily provided his password and handed over access to his phone in the UK, despite having no strict legal obligation to do so. He maintains he did so under the explicit understanding that the device would be handed back within three hours.
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However, four weeks have elapsed, and the phone remains in the custody of the NCCIA. According to Rizwan’s latest letter, the agency has made no proactive effort to arrange the return of the device, nor have they contacted him to demonstrate compliance with judicial guidelines.
This development follows the Lahore High Court’s dismissal of Rizwan’s earlier petition, which had challenged the NCCIA’s jurisdiction over the matter. While the court ruled against dismissing the case and ordered Rizwan to cooperate with investigators, it simultaneously instructed the agency to avoid subjecting the cricketer to “harassment or unnecessary inconvenience.” Furthermore, the court granted Rizwan the liberty to approach a relevant jurisdiction to recover personal items, such as his mobile phone, if they were unlawfully withheld.
Rizwan’s legal team has now capitalized on that judicial opening. The letter argues that Rizwan’s voluntary handover of his phone and his subsequent conduct clearly demonstrate his willingness to cooperate with lawful proceedings. In return, however, he expects the agency to act in kind. The correspondence explicitly requests the NCCIA to identify in writing the specific incident under investigation, outline when he is required to present himself for further proceedings, and immediately facilitate the return of his phone.
While Imam-ul-Haq previously chose to cooperate by filling out the agency’s questionnaire, Rizwan opted to enlist legal representation to contest the procedural handling of the case. Though his jurisdictional challenge was unsuccessful, Rizwan remains firm on establishing proper legal bounds. By demanding written communication and the return of his personal property, the wicketkeeper-batter is signaling that any further cooperation will strictly adhere to transparent, documented legal channels. As the fallout from the England tour continues to reverberate, all eyes remain on how the NCCIA responds to this formal demand for accountability.
