By Nawaz Gohar ;  The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) lacks the statutory jurisdiction under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 (as amended in 2025) to investigate national cricketers over allegations of online betting or match-related gambling in international cricket, according to expert legal opinion.

Under established international sports governance frameworks, the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the International Cricket Council (ICC)—alongside the internal integrity mechanisms of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)—holds exclusive authority to investigate corruption, betting, and integrity breaches involving international players.

The statutory boundaries set for the cyber crime agency are explicitly defined by law and do not extend to the domain of sports integrity and international cricket governance.

Legal experts suggest that rather than merely responding to individual summons issued under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan should formally challenge the legitimacy of the entire inquiry before the superior judiciary.

Establishing a jurisdictional challenge in the High Court would test whether the agency possesses the lawful authority to conduct financial and digital audits over sports integrity allegations, serving to protect international athletes from unlawful regulatory overreach.

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