Following rumours that connected Imam-ul-Haq’s resignation from the second Test at Lord’s to a previous disciplinary ruling, the Pakistan Cricket Board launched an investigation. According to reports, the PCB has opened a high-level investigation into the circumstances surrounding his calf injury sustained during that game, which has brought the opener’s behaviour under new scrutiny.
On the first day of the Lord’s Test against England, Imam was fielding when he tore his left calf muscle. On Day 1, he left the pitch after the tea break and did not bat throughout either innings. After Salman Ali Agha took over as a substitute fielder, team management suggested a 10-day rest break after scans were finished at the end of the game that nite.
After Pakistan’s management reorganised the team after suffering crushing losses in the first two Tests of the series, Imam was part of a seven-player group that was sent home from the trip.
What was discovered by the 2025 PCB committee, and what is the subject of the ongoing inquiry?
A PCB committee that met in 2025 found that Imam had deceived medical personnel while Pakistan was visiting New Zealand, according to a report that cited a Geo.tv article.
When the committee looked into a toe problem he had brought up at the time, they discovered that imaging revealed neither a fracture nor a dislocation. Based on this, the panel concluded that he had exaggerated his symptoms and suggested that he be banned from all forms. Both the precise date of the procedures and the particular match in question are still unknown.
A different investigation has now been initiated by the Lord’s occurrence. As the PCB investigation was reportedly underway on September 2, 2026, Aaqib Javed, a member of the selection committee, publicly condemned the circumstances surrounding Imam’s withdrawal from the Test as a subject of significant concern.
What is Pakistan’s series situation going into the remaining Test matches?
The decision to send seven players home indicates that selectors are willing to make significant changes to the touring group, as Pakistan has lost both completed Test matches against England in the current series by wide margins. The most obvious effect of those outcomes thus far is the reorganisation of the team.
Imam has no practical way to return to the series anytime soon due to his expulsion from the squad and the current PCB investigation into his Lord’s withdrawal. The entire course of events from the time he departed the pitch at Lord’s is anticipated to be covered by the investigation. As of this writing, there have been no official charges or bans announced.
