Pakistan cricket’s troubled tour of England has taken another unusual turn, with the Pakistan Cricket Board reportedly taking mobile phones belonging to members of the national team into its custody ahead of the third and final Test at Edgbaston.
Pakistani journalist Amber Ali of 365 News reported that the players’ devices had been taken into PCB custody and would remain with the board until the conclusion of the final Test. The identities of the players involved have not been disclosed, while the PCB has not publicly explained the reason behind the move.
The development has naturally raised questions over what cricket authorities are actually permitted to do with players’ phones and under what circumstances they can access private communications or retain electronic devices.
What ICC rules say about players’ phones
Mobile phones are already tightly regulated inside international cricket’s restricted match areas. Under the ICC’s Player and Match Officials Area regulations, players and support staff are prohibited from possessing or using mobile phones and other communication devices inside designated restricted areas, including dressing rooms, during an international match.
Players are required to leave such devices in secure storage before entering those areas. These rules are primarily designed to protect the integrity of the game and prevent unauthorised communication during matches.
That standard match-day restriction, however, is different from authorities retaining a player’s personal device for a prolonged period. Cricket’s anti-corruption regulations provide much wider investigative powers when a formal integrity inquiry is being conducted.
Under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, an authorised anti-corruption official can issue a written demand requiring a participant to hand over a mobile device or permit investigators to copy or download information if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the material could be relevant to an investigation.
The scope of information that can be sought is extensive. It can include telephone records, internet records, text messages, WhatsApp conversations, photographs, videos, audio files and other documents stored electronically.
Players can also be required to provide passwords or access codes necessary for investigators to obtain the requested information. Failure to cooperate with a legitimate anti-corruption investigation can itself lead to disciplinary action.
However, the existence of these powers does not automatically mean that any instance of a board taking possession of players’ phones is connected to corruption, betting or fixing. There has been no confirmation that the PCB’s reported action in England forms part of an anti-corruption investigation, nor has any player been publicly accused of an integrity offence.
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There is also an important jurisdictional distinction. In matters concerning international cricket, the ICC’s Integrity Unit has primary authority under the global Anti-Corruption Code, while national boards generally exercise direct anti-corruption jurisdiction over domestic competitions.
The PCB may also possess separate powers under player contracts, team regulations or internal disciplinary procedures, but no such basis has been publicly cited in relation to the latest development.
The episode arrives during an already chaotic tour for Pakistan. Heavy defeats in the first two Tests prompted a major mid-series overhaul, with seven players released from the squad and changes made to the coaching set-up before the Edgbaston finale.
Until the PCB explains why the phones were taken, however, the precise nature of the move will remain unclear — and the speculation surrounding an already turbulent Pakistan camp is unlikely to disappear.