Muhammad Amanullah — September 11, 2026
Pakistan national team players Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan are facing difficulties regarding their participation in domestic cricket.
Both cricketers have been declared ineligible to participate in the first round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I tournament because they did not submit their fitness test reports. The development has also raised questions about their future in domestic cricket and their eligibility to retain their central contracts.
According to sources, the fitness test reports of Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan were not provided to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by their respective departments. Under PCB regulations, players are required to submit fitness test reports to be eligible to participate in first-class cricket.
As the required reports were not available, neither cricketer will be able to represent his respective team in the opening round of the tournament.
Both Players Were Expected to Lead Their Teams
The President’s Trophy Grade-I is scheduled to begin tomorrow in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Abbottabad and Peshawar. Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan were expected to take on important responsibilities for their respective teams in the tournament.
Imam-ul-Haq was scheduled to captain the OGDCL team against PTV. His absence means OGDCL will be without an important player and its captain in the opening match.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan was expected to captain the Sui Gas team in the absence of Shan Masood. With Rizwan unavailable, Sui Gas will have to make alternative arrangements for leadership in the first round.
The participation of both players had been considered important, but their failure to submit the required fitness test reports has made their participation impossible.
Submission of Fitness Test Reports Is Mandatory
Under the current Pakistan Cricket Board regulations, players participating in first-class cricket are required to fulfill fitness-related requirements. Fitness test reports are submitted to the board as part of these regulations.
According to sources, the PCB did not receive the fitness test reports of Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan from their respective departments. This is why both players were not allowed to participate in the President’s Trophy Grade-I.
As a result, the two national cricketers have been ruled out of a domestic tournament in which they were expected not only to represent their respective teams but also to lead them.
Questions Over the Future of Both Cricketers
The situation has become more significant for Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan because the Pakistan Cricket Board has also set domestic cricket participation requirements for players holding central contracts.
Under PCB rules, all cricketers are required to play at least five domestic matches. In this context, the absence of both players from the opening round of the President’s Trophy could create additional difficulties for them.
Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan have both been prominent members of the national team, and their availability at the domestic level is also considered important. However, because the fitness-test requirement has not been fulfilled, neither player will be able to take the field with his respective team in the opening stage of the President’s Trophy.
Inquiry and Absence From Domestic Cricket
Both cricketers are also currently facing an inquiry over another matter. Their exclusion from the first round of domestic cricket therefore appears to add another challenge to an already difficult situation.
On one side, they are dealing with the inquiry, while on the other, the requirement to play the prescribed number of domestic matches remains in place. Under these circumstances, questions are also being raised about their central contracts.
If either player is unable to complete the required minimum of five domestic matches, PCB rules concerning central contracts could become an important issue for them.
For now, however, it is clear that the failure to submit their fitness test reports means Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan will not be part of their respective teams at the start of the President’s Trophy.
A New Challenge for Imam-ul-Haq and Rizwan
The current absence of Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan from domestic cricket comes just as the President’s Trophy Grade-I is set to begin.
Both players were expected to captain their respective teams, but they will not be available in the opening stage because the necessary fitness-related requirements have not been completed.
The development has temporarily created uncertainty around their domestic cricket future. At the same time, the requirement to play a minimum number of domestic matches to maintain their central contracts has become another important issue.
It remains to be seen when both cricketers complete the required fitness tests and how they manage to fulfill the requirement of playing at least five domestic matches.
For now, the two national players will not represent their respective teams in the opening round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I.
