- Former MHA official alleged Pakistani cricketers trafficked drugs in India.
- Mani named Akhtar, Asif, alleging widespread team drug trafficking.
- Allegations surface amid strained India-Pakistan cricketing ties.
Former Union Home Ministry official RVS Mani has made serious claims regarding Pakistan cricket team’s visits to India, stating that certain players were involved in drug trafficking during bilateral tours. The remarks were made during an appearance on the ANI Podcast, where Mani spoke about security-related issues concerning India-Pakistan engagements over the years. Neither the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) nor the cricketers named by Mani have publicly responded to the allegations at the time of writing.
RVS Mani Makes Explosive Claims
#WATCH | During podcast interview to ANI, Former Under Secretary, MHA, RVS Mani said, “There is a reported case of cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, where they were sent back (from India) by the Pakistani High Commission after their confession that they were carrying… pic.twitter.com/SbdjiUhA8r
— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2026
During the podcast, Mani referred to former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and ex-pacer Mohammad Asif while discussing an alleged incident from the past.
“There is a reported case of cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, where they were sent back (from India) by the Pakistani High Commission after their confession that they were carrying drugs.”
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Mani further alleged that the substances were not intended for personal use but were brought into the country for smuggling purposes.
“In the entire background, all the Pakistani team players, whenever these Pakistani delegations, teams, everything come, they traffic drugs here.”
India-Pakistan Cricket Ties Remain Limited
The comments come at a time when cricketing relations between India and Pakistan remain largely restricted to ICC and Asian Cricket Council tournaments because of long-standing political tensions between the two nations.
The two sides have not played a bilateral series for several years, with all meetings taking place in multinational competitions.
India has also declined to travel to Pakistan even for ICC events, opting to play its matches at neutral venues whenever Pakistan has hosted a global tournament.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has travelled to India for ICC competitions in the recent past but chose to play its fixtures in Sri Lanka during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and played all its games in co-host nation, Sri Lanka.
