Pindiz owner threatens to withdraw team from PSL if Rizwan barred

Tahir said his continued involvement in the PSL was closely linked to Rizwan’s presence in cricket and that he would reconsider his position if the player was barred from participating in cricketing activities. The franchise owner said Rizwan was the central figure behind his decision to acquire the Pindiz franchise.

He maintained that he had purchased the team specifically with Rizwan in mind and that there would be little reason for him to remain involved in the league if the cricketer was excluded. Tahir also spoke about his relationship with Rizwan, describing the Pakistan cricketer as a mentor whose values and guidance had influenced his personal life.

He further said his business interests were already firmly established in Pakistan and the United States, adding that owning a cricket franchise was not a commercial necessity for him. The development comes amid the ongoing inquiry involving Rizwan following the seizure of his mobile phone after the Lord’s Test in England.

During a recent Lahore High Court hearing, Rizwan’s lawyer, Qazi Umair Ali, that the cricketer had been called to a hotel lobby after the Test and questioned without being served a notice., Rizwan’s mobile phone was taken into custody after he was assured it would be returned within three hours, but the device has not yet been returned.

The inquiry concerns allegations related to online betting and gambling in Pakistan cricket, while reports have also linked it to alleged leaks of information from the Pakistan dressing room during the Test series against England. Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq appeared before the investigating agency in Lahore earlier this month.

No final finding against either player has been officially announced. The two cricketers were also among seven players released from Pakistan’s Test squad following the team’s defeat to England at Lord’s.