Pakistan’s troubled tour of England has taken another unexpected turn, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly taking mobile phones belonging to members of the national team into its custody ahead of the third and final Test at Edgbaston.
According to a report by Pakistani 365 News, the players’ devices have been handed over to the PCB and are expected to remain with the board until the conclusion of the final Test. The identities of the players whose phones were taken have not been disclosed. The PCB has also not publicly explained why the devices were placed in its custody.
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The development has prompted questions over the circumstances in which cricket authorities can retain or access players’ personal devices. It also raises questions about the safeguards applicable to private communications and information stored on the phones.
Mobile phones are already subject to strict restrictions in international cricket. Under the International Cricket Council’s Player and Match Officials Area regulations, players and support staff are not allowed to possess or use mobile phones or other communication devices inside restricted areas, including dressing rooms, during an international match. Players are expected to keep their devices in secure storage before entering such areas.
These match-day restrictions are designed to protect the integrity of international matches and prevent unauthorised communication. However, they are different from situations in which a player’s personal phone is retained for a longer period.
The ICC Anti-Corruption Code provides authorised anti-corruption officials with broader powers when a formal integrity investigation is underway. Where there are reasonable grounds to believe that information on a device could be relevant to an investigation, an authorised official can make a written demand requiring a participant to surrender a mobile device or permit investigators to copy or download information from it.
Such information can include telephone and internet records, text messages, WhatsApp conversations, photographs, videos, audio files and other electronically stored documents. Participants may also be required to provide passwords or access codes necessary for investigators to obtain the relevant material. Failure to comply with a legitimate demand during an anti-corruption investigation can result in disciplinary action.
However, the reported decision by the PCB to take possession of players’ phones does not itself establish that an anti-corruption investigation is underway. There has been no confirmation that the move is linked to corruption, betting or match-fixing. No Pakistan player has been publicly accused of an integrity offence.
The PCB could potentially have separate authority through player contracts, team regulations or internal disciplinary procedures, but it has not publicly cited any such provision as the reason for taking custody of the devices.
The controversy comes during a difficult England tour for Pakistan. Following heavy defeats in the opening two Tests, the PCB overhauled the squad midway through the series, sending seven players back to Pakistan and reshuffling the coaching staff.
Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed was replaced by Mike Hesson, who will oversee the team during the third and final Test at Edgbaston.
For now, the reason behind the PCB’s decision to retain the players’ phones remains unclear. Until the board provides an explanation, it cannot be established whether the move relates to internal disciplinary procedures, team regulations or any formal integrity-related process.
