The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCA) has questioned Pakistan’s former Test captain Rashid Latif about his claims that the country’s cricket board’s selection decisions were influenced by sponsorship agreements with betting firms.
According to a source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Rashid was the target of an NCCA complaint due to these accusations rather than criticizing the team’s poor performance.
“Saying that Muhammad Rizwan was removed as ODI captain because he was against surrogate advertising sponsorship deals with betting companies or accusing the board officials indirectly of wanting such deals is a serious matter,” he claimed.
The NCCA acknowledged that Syed Ali Rizvi, a member of the PCB legal department, submitted the complaint against Rashid with them.
In December 2023, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) prohibited betting and gaming enterprises from using surrogate advertising in any of the nation’s electronic media.
Subsequently, Attauullah Tarar, the Federal Minister for Information, reaffirmed the government’s zero tolerance policy regarding these kinds of ads.
The surge of surrogate advertising by betting and gambling businesses in Pakistani cricket, especially in the Pakistan Super League, when a number of teams joyfully inked team logo contracts with such companies, was essentially stopped by the PEMRA ban.
Rashid has repeatedly claimed that Babar Azam and Rizwan were mistreated because they refused to wear surrogate advertising logos.
