Howzat Live · Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated 25 August 2026

Howzat Live is a free online cricket game run by Hisham Sarwar. This page explains, in plain language, exactly what the site collects, why, and what you can do about it. It covers howzatlive.com and nothing else.

What we collect

When you create an account with a username and password

• Username - shown publicly in the lobby, in match chat and on the leaderboard.
• Password - stored only as a bcrypt hash. Nobody, including us, can read your password.
• Country - the flag shown next to your name. You choose it.

When you sign in with Google

If you use the Google Sign-In button, Google sends us a signed token containing your Google account ID, your email address, your name and your profile picture URL. We store the account ID and the email address so we can recognise you next time you sign in. We do not receive your Google password, and we ask for no access to Gmail, Drive, Contacts, or anything else in your Google account.

While you play

• Match records - who played whom, the score, the result and the date. These build the leaderboard and your Scale rating.
• Chat messages - lobby and in-match messages are stored so they can be shown to the people in the room and moderated if someone abuses them.
• A session cookie - a single httpOnly cookie that keeps you signed in. It carries a random session identifier and nothing else. It is strictly necessary for the site to work.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to count visits and see which pages people arrive on. It sets its own cookies and reports to Google. We use it to decide what to build, not to identify individuals. If you would rather not be measured, any browser tracking blocker or Google's opt-out add-on will stop it.

Server logs

The web server keeps ordinary access logs, including IP addresses, for security and debugging. They are not used to profile anyone.

What we do not do

• We do not sell your data. Not to advertisers, not to anyone.
• We do not run advertising on the site.
• We do not ask for a payment method, because the game is free and there is nothing to buy.
• We do not send marketing email. Your email address is used for account recovery and important service notices only.

Who your data is shared with

Three processors, and only for the job each one does:

• Hostinger - hosts the server the site runs on.
• Google - Analytics, and Sign-In if you choose to use it.
• Let's Encrypt - issues the certificate that encrypts your connection.

Your username, country, Scale badge and match results are public by design: that is what a leaderboard is. Your email address is never shown to other players.

How long we keep it

Account and match data is kept while your account exists. Session cookies expire on their own. Chat is kept for a rolling window so recent conversation can be shown in a room.

Your choices

Email infomist123@gmail.com from the address on your account and you can ask us to:

• send you a copy of everything we hold about you;
• correct anything that is wrong;
• delete your account and its data.

Deletion removes your account, your email address and your chat. Completed matches your opponents played may remain in their own records with your name removed. We aim to answer within 30 days.

If you signed in with Google, you can also revoke this site's access at any time from your Google account permissions page.

Children

Howzat Live is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child has created an account, email us and we will remove it.

Security

The whole site is served over HTTPS. Passwords are hashed with bcrypt. Session cookies are httpOnly, so page scripts cannot read them. No system is perfect, and we will tell affected players promptly if something goes wrong.

Changes

If this policy changes materially, the date at the top changes and a notice goes up on the site.

Contact

Hisham Sarwar · infomist123@gmail.com

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