LAHORE: Pakistan batters Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan are set to return to domestic cricket in the final round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I.
According to sources, Imam will be available for Oil and Gas Development Authority (OGDCL) for the last stage of the competition, which will start tomorrow with the department confirming Imam’s availability. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has informed the department that the left-hander is cleared to play.
Meanwhile, wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has also been granted permission to resume domestic cricket and will lead Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) aginst Khan Research Laboratories (KRL).
SNGPL director of cricket Mohammad Hafeez confirmed Rizwan’s return after the wicketkeeper received clearance from the PCB’s director of domestic cricket.
Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan were among seven Pakistan cricketers sent home midway through the team’s England tour in August following heavy defeats in the first two Tests of the three-match series.
Upon their return to Pakistan, both players were summoned by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for questioning as part of an inquiry into alleged leaks of dressing-room information. The investigation involved material obtained from their mobile phones.
The pair were subsequently barred from participating in domestic cricket, with the PCB citing their failure to submit mandatory fitness-test reports to their respective departmental teams.
Rizwan, 34, was also issued a notice by the NCCIA under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. His mobile phone was taken into the agency’s possession in England on August 31 as part of the inquiry.