Previous inquiry had recommended two-year ban but former officials intervened to save Test cricketer
\n LAHORE
\nPakistan Test opener Imam-ul-Haq is likely to face a ban after the authorities prepared an initial report against him over allegations of a suspicious injury during the England Test series, dressing room leaks and disciplinary violations, sources told on Sunday.
\nThe sources said Imam faced charges of faking injuries, leaking dressing room information and breaching team discipline.
\nHis previous file has also been reopened, with the sources saying the board had harboured suspicions about an injury he sustained during the New Zealand tour before the England series.
\nFollowing a prior inquiry, a two-year ban had been recommended against the opener, but a former head coach, a former selector and a former captain had intervened and met officials to recommend that no ban be imposed.
\nThe National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency is conducting forensic and technical analysis of mobile phones belonging to Imam and his fellow dropped player Mohammad Rizwan, the sources said. The investigation is primarily focused on financial matters and suspected transactions involving both players.
\nThe sources said the financial dealings of Imam and Rizwan before and after the England Test series were under examination, with their bank accounts under scrutiny. Any suspicious transactions identified would be traced to determine the source of funds and destination of transfers.
\nSuspected payments by any company, individual or organisation were also being scrutinised. Messages, contacts and other digital information from their phones were undergoing forensic analysis, with data recovered being linked to the inquiry into their financial transactions.
\nThe developments followed Pakistan\u2019s dismal performance in the England Test series, with the team suffering an innings-and-103-run defeat in the first Test and a 194-run loss at Lord\u2019s in the second.
\nThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took emergency measures after the Lord\u2019s defeat, releasing seven players including Rizwan, Imam, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Owais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad, along with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.
\nEarlier, the PCB had sought a written explanation from a selection committee member over the inclusion of Rizwan and Imam in the Test squads for the West Indies and England tours, issuing a formal notice on August 31 referencing a June 2 selection meeting.
\nRizwan, 34, who has represented Pakistan in 47 Tests, 103 ODIs and 106 T20Is, reportedly contacted the PCB before appearing before the NCCIA and travelled from London to Islamabad after being dropped from the squad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Previous inquiry had recommended two-year ban but former officials intervened to save Test cricketer LAHORE Pakistan Test opener Imam-ul-Haq is likely to face a ban after the authorities prepared an initial report against him over allegations of a suspicious injury during the England Test series, dressing room leaks and disciplinary violations, sources told on Sunday. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":567109,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-567082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n