Pakistan cricket is once again embroiled in a major controversy after former captain Rashid Latif came under the scanner of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCA). Latif came under the NCCA radar when he publicly accused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of allowing betting-linked sponsorships to influence major selection decisions.
According to officials close to the PCB, the complaint filed against Rashid has nothing to do with his controversial views on the Pakistan cricket team’s performance on the field, but rather his sensational claim that big names like Mohammad Rizwan were removed from captaincy because they refused to accept sponsorships linked to betting companies.
The former captain had also claimed that some PCB officials were running behind such deals. Later, the NCCA confirmed that the complaint was filed by Syed Ali Rizvi, a member of the PCB’s legal team, which made the situation more serious and turned it into a full-blown controversy.
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“Claims that Mohammad Rizwan was removed as ODI captain because he opposed surrogate advertising sponsorship deals with betting companies, or indirectly accusing board officials of making such deals, is a serious issue,” a PCB source was quoted as saying by News18.
This entire episode comes at a time when Pakistan had already taken strict action against surrogate advertising, even when the promotions appear to be for harmless brands but actually represent betting companies.
Rashid Latif episode comes to light after PEMRA’s ban on surrogate advertising
In December 2023, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) banned all such advertisements on electronic media. Soon after, the Government of Pakistan made it clear that there would be zero tolerance for promoting betting through sports in the country.
The ban severely affected Pakistan cricket, especially the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where many teams had signed major logo deals with these surrogate brands. After the government’s order, the PSL team had to end that deal.
But Rashid has repeatedly said that both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam were targeted by the PCB because they refused to wear jerseys with these surrogate betting logos. His claims have now been officially investigated, raising questions over sponsorship practices in Pakistani cricket.
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Azhar Ali resigns from key roles amid PCB’s silent moves
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board had to face another unexpected drama as former captain Azhar Ali resigned from his role as national selector and head of youth development just a year after his appointment. The board has accepted his resignation, but interestingly he has not made any public statement.
According to Pakistani media reports, Azhar decided to step down after growing differences with the board. The situation eventually reached a point when Sarfaraz Ahmed was quietly appointed the head of both the Pakistan Under-19 and Under-19 teams.
PCB has also not made this appointment officially. Sarfaraz’s appointment reportedly conflicted directly with Azhar’s own responsibilities. Since the former captain was given a role that was very similar to what Azhar was handling, he felt that his position no longer held any real value or authority. Azhar felt that he had been sidelined, so he decided to resign from his post.
Currently, Pakistan team is playing T20 tri-series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka on home ground.
