Stormers Rugby Director John Dobson Denies Rumors About Hashim Ped's Transfer

Mohammad Ridwan, a wicket-keeper and batsman from Pakistan, faced a serious obstacle in his legal battle against the National Cyber Crime Agency (NCCIA). The Lahore High Court rejected Ridwan's petition on Thursday (September 17), which challenged a notification issued by this agency. The hearing was conducted by Chief Justice Alia Nilm.

Mohammad Ridwan's lawyer, Qazi Umar Ali, appeared in court and stated that the allegations against his client were unfounded. According to the lawyer, after the match at Lord's, Ridwan was called for questioning in the hotel lobby, but no notification was given to him at that time.

The lawyer also reported that the investigative agency confiscated Ridwan's mobile phone during the interrogation. Although he was promised the return of the phone within three hours, this did not happen. Furthermore, the lawyer argued that if the case related to cricket corruption, it should fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC's anti-corruption unit. However, according to him, no case involving Ridwan had been transferred to the ICC's anti-corruption unit.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Alia Nilm expressed dissatisfaction with the lawyer due to the lack of case materials. She reminded that NCCIA summoned Mohammad Ridwan on September 10, and he appeared before the agency as per the court order. The court asked the lawyer why it was necessary to go to court if Ridwan had already appeared before the agency. After this, the Chief Justice ordered the lawyer to first approach NCCIA to present his position and submit a response to the notification. Subsequently, the petition was dismissed.

According to the NCCIA notification, the agency is investigating matters related to online betting and gambling. Ridwan questioned the legality of the notification and the agency's jurisdiction in court. He claimed that the notification did not specify any concrete charges, nor did it clarify what specific illegal actions he was allegedly involved in. After appearing before the agency, Ridwan sent a written response via courier, demanding justification for his court summons and clarification on the status of the confiscated mobile phone.

Imam Ul Haq, a Pakistan team player who bats as an opener alongside Mohammad Ridwan, was also at the NCCIA office in Johar Town. According to available information, both players were interrogated for two hours. Pakistani media reports suggest that one aspect of the investigation relates to an alleged leak of information from the Pakistan dressing room during a series of matches against England. Investigators also questioned both players about their interactions and meetings during training and matches in England.

The agency conducted forensic and technical analysis of both players' mobile phones, examining their messages, contacts, and other digital data, as well as analyzing alleged financial operations and suspicious transactions. Nevertheless, NCCIA has not yet officially published any final findings against Mohammad Ridwan or Imam Ul Haq. This investigation arose against the backdrop of significant changes in the Pakistan team composition. According to the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) notification dated August 31, the selection committee recommended including both players in the team after discussing their names at the meeting on June 2. The board requested information regarding selection criteria, player performance, and other aspects related to their selection. At present, the NCCIA investigation is ongoing, and no official announcement regarding further action or findings against Ridwan and Imam Ul Haq has been made.

WP Cobras coach Rory Kleinveldt has recommended former South African U19 national bowler Raik Daniels for a breakthrough season as the team aims to restore its former glory.

Daniels, who is 20 years old, previously played for the same Junior Proteas team that featured players such as Kwena Maphaka, Lhuandree Pretorius, and Nkobani Mokoena. These players later moved up to the senior Proteas squad after the ICC U19 World Cup held in South Africa two years ago.

The rise of the former prodigy from Rondebosch Boys’ High was not immediate, as he was behind senior Western Province bowlers like Dan Patterson and Bueran Hendriks. However, the situation has changed: Hendriks left Newlands for St George’s Park during the off-season, and Proteas bowler Nandre Burger sustained a long-term injury, opening an opportunity for Daniels to showcase his abilities starting with the first-class match against Warriors at Newlands on Thursday.

Kleinveldt believes that Daniels benefited significantly from the winter spent at the CSA National Centre of Excellence. He told IOL Sport exclusively: 'Yes, I think there is definitely a responsibility here. It's not just about constant wins. You also have to develop players and give them opportunities to see what they are capable of at the highest level.'

He continued: 'Fortunately, we have quite a few players who participate in the national team, in the A team, which provides these opportunities for young players. So yes, we have many exciting guys. Raik Daniels, I think he has progressed very well. He spent the winter in the academy. He came back fitter. He came back stronger and with extra pace.'

Last season, WP Cobras had a difficult red-ball campaign, securing three wins and suffering four losses, which saw them finish sixth out of eight teams. This sharply contrasts with the Newlands-based teams of previous years, which dominated the first-class arena. Kleinveldt hopes to convey this message to the new generation of Cobras players.

He emphasized: 'It helps them understand what it means to play for Province Cobras and the responsibility that entails. It has been a prolonged period. We probably haven't won a trophy in 11 years, and I think we need to change that.'