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- Mohammad Rizwan will lead the squad with Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were dropped from Pakistan’s last two Tests against England
- Rizwan led Pakistan in two Tests on the tour of New Zealand in 2020, when Azam was injured but has never led in limited over matches
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday it had appointed Mohammad Rizwan skipper for the upcoming white-ball tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.
Rizwan replaces Babar Azam who stepped down this month. He led Pakistan in two Tests on the tour of New Zealand in 2020, when Azam was injured but has never led in limited over matches.
Rizwan will lead the squad with Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were dropped from Pakistan’s last two Tests against England in the series Pakistan won 2-0 on Saturday.
“I am confident that Rizwan’s leadership qualities, underpinned by his deep commitment and passion for the game, will help shape this talented team into a consistently successful unit,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement.
“Rizwan has earned the respect of his peers and colleagues through his dedication and positive attitude, and I have no doubt that these qualities, combined with his game knowledge and performance, will inspire the next generation of Pakistan cricketers.”
Azam, appointed white-ball captain for the first time in 2019, stepped down after Pakistan’s disastrous first-round exit from the ODI World Cup in India last year.
He was re-appointed for a second time in March ahead of the Twenty20 International World Cup in the United States and West Indies, where Pakistan exited in the first round again.
“I am deeply honored to be appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. Representing Pakistan on the global stage is the greatest privilege and to now be entrusted with leading such a talented and exciting group of players is a tremendous honor. Joining the ranks of some of Pakistan’s legendary limited-overs captains truly is the icing on the cake,” 32-year-old Rizwan was quoted as saying by the PCB.
“I am committed to giving my absolute best in this role and look forward to working closely with the selectors, coaches and my immensely talented teammates. Together, we aim to meet and exceed the expectations of our fans and supporters.”
Rizwan, who debuted in white-ball cricket in 2015, has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is to date, scoring 5,401 runs with four centuries and accounting for 143 dismissals behind the stumps. As he leads the team in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November, Rizwan will become Pakistan’s 31st captain. For the first T20I in Brisbane on 14 November, he will be the 12th to captain Pakistan in the format.
PAKISTAN SQUADS FOR AUSTRALIA AND ZIMBABWE TOURS
ODI squad for Australia: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi
T20I squad for Australia: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
ODI squad for Zimbabwe: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir
T20I squad for Zimbabwe: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan