The Pakistan Cricket Board's ongoing overhaul of its Test team has taken another unusual turn, with a report claiming that players' mobile phones have been taken into PCB custody ahead of the third and final Test against England.
The report, from Pakistani journalist Amber Ali of 365 News, did not identify the players whose phones were taken or specify what the PCB is investigating. It also remains unclear whether the move is connected to an anti-corruption inquiry, an internal disciplinary matter or another team-related issue.
The PCB has not publicly explained the reason for taking the devices, leaving considerable uncertainty around the development.
What do ICC rules say about players' phones?
Mobile phones are already subject to strict restrictions during international matches.
Under ICC
regulations governing Player and Match Officials Areas, players and support staff cannot possess or use mobile phones and other communication devices inside designated restricted areas, including dressing rooms during matches. Devices must be left in secure storage before individuals enter those areas.
Those rules are primarily intended to protect the integrity of matches and prevent unauthorised communication.
However, there is an important distinction between restricting the use of a phone during a match and taking possession of a player's personal device for an extended period.
Can the PCB access a player's phone?
The ICC Anti-Corruption Code provides authorised officials with significantly broader powers when a formal integrity investigation is taking place.
An authorised anti-corruption official can require a participant to hand over a mobile device or allow investigators to copy or download information from it if there are reasonable grounds to believe the material could be relevant to an investigation.
Such information can include telephone records, internet activity, text messages, WhatsApp conversations, photographs, videos, audio files and other electronically stored material.
Participants can also be required to provide passwords or access codes needed to obtain the requested information. Failure to comply with a legitimate demand during an anti-corruption investigation can itself result in disciplinary action.
But those provisions do not mean that the PCB's reported action is automatically linked to corruption.
There has been no confirmation that the phone confiscation is part of an anti-corruption investigation, nor has any player been publicly accused of match-fixing, betting or another integrity offence.
Why has the phone issue raised questions?
The uncertainty stems largely from the lack of an official explanation.
If the PCB has taken the devices as part of a formal investigation, the nature and scope of that investigation would determine what authority officials have over the phones and their contents.
The board could also have separate powers under player contracts, team regulations or internal disciplinary procedures. However, no such provision has been publicly cited in relation to the current situation.
There is also a distinction between the PCB's authority as Pakistan's national cricket board and the ICC's jurisdiction over international anti-corruption matters. The ICC's Integrity Unit operates under the global Anti-Corruption Code, while national boards generally exercise direct anti-corruption authority over domestic cricket.
Until the PCB provides further details, it would therefore be premature to conclude why the phones have been taken or what information, if any, officials are seeking.
Pakistan Cricket in a chaotic England tour
The phone controversy comes against the backdrop of a turbulent Test tour for Pakistan.
After losing the first two Tests against England, the PCB made sweeping changes to the touring squad ahead of the series finale. Seven players - Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad - were released from the squad.
The coaching staff was also reshaped, with Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul replaced by Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke.
Seven replacements were subsequently added, including Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas and Saad Baig, alongside Muhammad Randhawa, Razaullah and Muhammad Imran Jr.
The third Test begins at Edgbaston on September 9, with Pakistan already 2-0 down in the series.
Against that backdrop, the reported phone seizure adds another layer of uncertainty to a team that has already undergone significant changes mid-series. Until the PCB explains the reason behind the move, however, any connection to corruption or another specific investigation remains unconfirmed.
