Cricketer Haider Ali is being investigated by Greater Manchester Police and has been provisionally suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
A 24-year-old man was arrested earlier this week following an accusation of rape at a ‘premises’ in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police said the man has been ‘bailed pending further enquiries’ while confirming the alleged victim is being ‘supported by officers’.
‘After receiving a report on Monday 4 August 2025 of a rape, we have arrested a 24-year-old man,’ GMP said in a statement to Reuters.
‘It’s alleged that the incident occurred on Wednesday 23 July 2025 at a premises in Manchester.
‘The man has since been bailed pending further enquiries. The victim is being supported by officers.’
The Pakistan Cricket Board, who have provisionally suspended Ali, did not specify the nature of the investigation into the 24-year-old.
However, they said an ‘investigation’ into the cricketer stems from an ‘incident that reportedly occurred during the Pakistan Shaheens’ recent tour of England’.
The Pakistan A team, otherwise knows as the Pakistan Shaheens, played five matches in England between 22 July and 3 August.
Ali played in all five games, scoring two half-centuries as Pakistan A finished the tour with two wins and two draws.
A statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board read: ‘The PCB has been made aware of a criminal investigation currently being conducted by the Greater Manchester Police involving cricketer Haider Ali.
‘The investigation pertains to an incident that reportedly occurred during the Pakistan Shaheens’ recent tour of England.
‘The PCB fully respects the legal procedures and processes of the United Kingdom and acknowledges the importance of allowing the investigation to run its due course.
‘Accordingly, the PCB has decided to place Haider Ali under provisional suspension, effective immediately, pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
‘Once the legal proceedings are concluded and all facts have been duly established, the PCB reserves the right to take appropriate action under its Code of Conduct, if necessary.’
Who is Pakistan cricketer Haider Ali?
Born and raised in Punjab, Ali grew up playing tape-ball cricket before featuring in Pakistan’s youth teams from the age of 15.
He made his professional debut for Rawalpindi in 2018 and was drafted into Pakistan’s T20 franchise league a year later.
Playing for Peshawar Zalmi, he became the youngest cricketer to score a fifty in the Pakistan Super League.
Ali’s focus since then has been on T20 cricket and he has played 164 domestic T20 games compared to just 27 first-class matches.
The right-hander made his Pakistan debut in his favoured format in September 2020 and has gone on to make 37 appearances for his country.
Ali, who has scored three T20 international fifties, featured for Pakistan at the T20 World Cup in 2022 but was left out of their squad for last year’s edition of the tournament.
As well as being a mainstay in the Pakistan Super League and playing for several PSL teams, Ali has also played in T20 tournaments in the Caribbean and England.
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