ISLAMABAD (Qasim Abbasi) Cricketer Rizwan himself came under investigation for rejecting betting deals, Rizwan had rejected an alleged betting sponsorship deal worth Rs 10 crore and refused to put up the logo of the betting sponsor. Questions about Rizwan’s phone being seized in London and transferred to Pakistan, the relevant institutions did not respond to the investigation procedure. A detailed timeline of investigative reports published in The News International reveals a deep irony that Mohammad Rizwan, the player caught up in the probe into online gambling platforms, is the same one who has repeatedly defied surrogate betting companies, rejected sponsorship deals worth crores of rupees and resisted pressure for commercial rights. Previous reports by The News International have documented that Mohammad Rizwan, along with former captain Babar Azam, took a tough stand against illegal surrogate gambling companies operating across Pakistan. Documented email correspondence obtained by The News revealed that surrogate betting brands had offered lucrative sponsorship deals to Pakistan’s top cricketers. Babar Azam rejected a proposed contract of 25 crore Pakistani rupees per annum, while Rizwan also turned down an offer of 10 crore rupees from a surrogate gambling establishment. In the official correspondence sent by their management agency, the two players had taken a clear stand: “As Muslims we do not support any betting or surrogate betting brand.” More interestingly, as the captain of Multan Sultans during the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Rizwan reportedly refused to have the logo of the surrogate betting sponsor on his sports kit. Industry sources confirmed that the images of Rizwan and Babar Azam were used in the promotional digital campaigns against their express wishes. Rizwan’s principled stand against surrogate betting firms put him at odds with the regulatory regime at a time when surrogate sports news platforms, later labeled by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as fronts for illegal gambling, were being roped in as major sponsors of domestic and international series. As well as the commercial tussle, The News International previously reported that Rizwan also faced intense pressure on other matters outside of cricket, including orders to delete social media posts expressing solidarity with Palestinians facing military action in Gaza. Despite having a documented record of opposition to surrogate gambling establishments, Rizwan faced a late-night action following the conclusion of the second Test at Lord’s on 31 August 2026. The conduct of the relevant authorities regarding Rizwan’s personal mobile phone has raised important legal questions regarding fundamental rights, jurisdiction and adherence to due process.