Tag: Ghazi Ghori

LAHORE: Pakistan wicket-keeper Ghazi Ghori was taken off the field after feeling unwell during the second ODI against Australia. 

Ghazi was subsituted during the 25th over after which the team doctors assessed his condition. In his absence, reserve wicket-keeper Rohail Nazir kept the wickets. Later on, the-23-year-old returned to the field in the 33rd over of the game.

At the time of filing this story, Australia were 128-4 in 33 overs with Cameron Green and Matt Renshaw at the crease.

It is worth mentioning that the ongoing ODI series between Pakistan and Australia is scheduled at 4:30 pm PKT due to sweltering weather conditions.

Earlier, the pitch report also indicated about hot weather conditions with Lahore temperature recorded above 40 C during the day time.

Playing XIs

HEAD TO HEAD

Pakistan and Australia have clashed in a total of 112 One Day International (ODI) matches. The Australian side has emerged dominant, claiming victory in an impressive 71 encounters. Meanwhile, Pakistan has managed to win 37 games. Interestingly, four games ended without a result, and one thrilling match concluded in a tie.

Matches 112, Australia 71, Pakistan 37, No Result 3, Tie 1

It’s worth noting that the ongoing ODI series is Australia’s first 50-over bilateral tour of Pakistan since 2022, when the hosts secured a 2-1 series victory.

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LAHORE: Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Ghazi Ghori has addressed talk surrounding Mohammad Rizwan’s replacement in the ODI side. 

Speaking ahead of the second ODI against Australia, Ghori said Rizwan remains the senior player despite his omission from the ongoing series.

“It’s not like that I am replacing Rizwan bhai, he is our most senior player, and only he is our first-choice wicketkeeper,” he told reporters.

He also spoke about receiving support from team management, noting that during Bangladesh tour, the coaches and captain advised him to stay ready for any oppurtunity.

“I have been receiving significant support from the coach and the captain. When I played in Bangladesh, they advised me to stay prepared as I could be given an opportunity anytime and also that I must avail it. So, the captain and coach supported me a lot,” he explained.

Ghori who scored a calculated fifty in the series opener, credited Babar Azam for guiding him through the difficult phase of the innings.

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“It gives a lot of confidence when a senior player is already in the middle, and to bat alongside someone like Babar bhai, who has performed so well over the years, gives a different kind of confidence and eases the pressure a bit from the youngster,” Ghazi revealed.

“Because as a senior player, he was dealing with the difficult tasks by himself and kept me at ease. So, when you’re batting alongside someone like Babar bhai, things get easier,” he concluded.

It is worth mentioning that Rizwan was omitted from Pakistan’s squad for the home series, sparking widespread debate about his future in ODI cricket.

Pakistan have included Rohail Nazir and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori as their specialist wicketkeeping options for the Australia series, with the team management looking to assess alternatives ahead of the next ODI World Cup cycle.

Rizwan’s omission comes after a disappointing ODI series against Bangladesh earlier this year, where he managed just 54 runs in three innings at an average of 19.33.

Despite the recent struggles, the experienced wicketkeeper remains one of Pakistan’s most accomplished ODI performers. Since making his debut in the format, Rizwan has scored 2979 runs in 94 ODI innings at an average of 40.80, including four centuries and 19 half-centuries.

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Former Pakistan pacer Tanveer Ahmed has slammed wicket-keeper batter Ghazi Ghori’s selection for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh.

Earlier today, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-member squad for the Test series, including four uncapped players — Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori.

The first of the two matches, part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), will be played in Dhaka from 8 to 12 May, while Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the second Test from 16 to 20 May.

Following the announcement, Tanveer, who played five Tests for Pakistan, highlighted Saad Baig’s omission.

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“Saad Baig’s current season performance: 10 matches, 1000 runs, ranked No. 1 — yet his name was not included in the Test squad against Bangladesh,” he said.

“Ghazi Ghori — whose recommendation is he on? Zero performance, has played only one match this season, yet he has been named in the Test team. Shame on such selection,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that Ghazi Ghori made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in the recently concluded series. He has played 26 first-class matches, scoring 1692 runs at an average of 41.26, including three hundreds and 10 fifties.

The 23-year-old was also the second-highest run getter in the President’s Trophy Grade-I, 2025/26, finishing on 531 runs in seven matches at an average of 48.27.

Meanwhile, Saad Baig was the leading run scorer in the country’s premier domestic competition — Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26. He made 1000 runs in 10 matches, including four centuries and three fifties.

Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh Test series

Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, and Shaheen Shah Afridi

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KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has defended the selection of young wicket-keeper Ghazi Ghori in the national squad for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh.

Rizwan shared his views during a media talk on the sidelines of Pakistan’s training camp in Karachi.

Notably, Ghazi Ghori is among six uncapped players included in Pakistan’s ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour. The other uncapped ODI players are Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain.

However, Ghori’s inclusion sparked debate among fans and former cricketers on social media due to his limited domestic experience.

Ghori, who featured in two matches for Islamabad United last year, has played just 17 List A matches, averaging slightly above 20 with a strike rate below 80 in the format.

Despite the scrutiny, Rizwan insisted that the youngster deserved the opportunity.

“Ghazi has come into the team on the basis of performance. Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Rizwan said.

The senior wicket-keeper also emphasised that Pakistan should welcome the emergence of multiple wicketkeeping options, saying it could ultimately benefit the national team.

“Right now, Ghazi is in the squad, but if you look at the past, many wicketkeepers have been performing. It’s good if more keepers come through the system because Pakistan might finally find what it has been searching for,” he added.

The three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to be played from March 11 to 15, with all fixtures set to take place at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.

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Mohammad Rizwan also warned against underestimating Bangladesh in their home conditions.

“On paper, the series may look easy, but Bangladesh are a tough side in their own conditions. The pitches there suit them,” he said, adding that Pakistan still have players in the squad who possess experience of playing in those conditions.

When asked about the exclusion of several senior players from the squad, Rizwan said the selection committee was better placed to explain those decisions.

“If I had been part of the selection meeting, I could have told you why certain players were left out,” he remarked.

Rizwan further highlighted the importance of the captain’s role in team-building, stating that leadership input should carry weight in decision-making.

“If the selection committee or head coach does not listen to the captain, then that person should not be captain,” he said. “The captain has to lead the team on the field, so his opinion must matter.”

The wicketkeeper-batter also spoke about the pressure in modern cricket, stressing the need for greater professionalism within Pakistan cricket.

“Pressure exists at every level of cricket, whether club, domestic or international. We need awareness and professionalism because other teams are ahead of us and they handle pressure better,” he said.

Rizwan was also asked about reports claiming that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had imposed a fine of Rs5 million on each player following the team’s disappointing campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

However, he declined to comment on the matter, saying the board had not yet made any official announcement.

“Many people and sections of the media have spoken about it, but until the PCB makes an official statement, I cannot say anything about the alleged fine,” Rizwan concluded.

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