Tag: Mohammad Rizwan

Former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Shoaib Malik backed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to appoint Mohammad Rizwan as white-ball captain of the national men’s team.

Rizwan on Sunday, replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the latter stepped down from the role earlier this month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

The 32-year-old will begin his tenure as captain with the white-ball series in Australia, starting on November 4.

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.

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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.

During a recent media interaction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Shoaib Malik expressed his admiration for Rizwan, highlighting his exceptional skills as a cricketer, while welcoming the wicket-keeper’s appointment as the white-ball captain.

“I am pleased that Mohammad Rizwan has become the captain of the cricket team; he is a smart cricketer,” Malik stated. “I pray for his success; failure teaches you more, while success can lead to complacency.”

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Newly-appointed Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan extended a heartfelt invitation to India men’s cricket team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in the February- March window, however, India’s participation in the tournament is uncertain as the BCCI seeks the government’s approval to visit the country.

Remember, reports emerged in Indian media, citing a source from the BCCI, that the Indian team will not be visiting Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

India has not travelled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

In contrast, Pakistan has made four trips to India in the last 16 years. Their most recent visit was last year for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.

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Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan, a part of the Pakistan squad that travelled to India for the mega event last year, acknowledged the hospitality Pakistan players received and asserted that the Indian players would be treated similarly.

“Pakistan fans love Indian players; we received love in India as well (during the 2023 World Cup). We also want India to come to Pakistan and play here. I’m unsure if they’re coming for the Champions Trophy, but one thing is certain – if they come, they’ll receive an awesome welcome here,” stated Rizwan.

It is worth mentioning that Rizwan was appointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain on Sunday, replacing star batter Babar Azam, who stepped down from the role earlier this month in a bid to focus more on his status as a player.

Rizwan’s first assignment will be a three-match away ODI series against Australia, followed by as many T20Is.

READ: Rizwan-led Pakistan squad reaches Australia for white-ball series

The second contingent of Pakistan white-ball squad, under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan, reached Melbourne, Australia for the three-match ODI and T20I series.

The second group of the Pakistan squad that reached Australia on Wednesday evening included white-ball captain Rizwan, his deputy Salman Ali Agha, alongside Abdullah Shafique, Aamir Jamal, Saim Ayub, Kamran Ghulam, Haseebullah and Arafat Minhas.

Remember, seven players from the Pakistan team Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Faisal Akram reached Melbourne on Tuesday.

The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, followed by a white-ball series in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, which will be played from 24 November to 5 December.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe yesterday.

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The cricket board also appointed wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan as the captain for Pakistan’s white-ball team ahead of the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Key players like Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were rested from the last two Tests against England, retained their place in the white-ball squads for the Australia matches but will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour.

Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan will be available for the Australia tour and Zimbabwe ODIs, but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who has been appointed as the vice-captain, will lead the team in Rizwan’s absence during the T20I series against Zimbabwe.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour

ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), 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, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.

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Pakistan’s newly appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan refrained from giving his verdict on the snub of Fakhar Zaman from the white-ball squads and men’s central contracts.

Rizwan addressed the media at a local hotel in Karachi, ahead of the national team’s departure to Australia where they will play a three-match ODI and T20I series.

When asked to share his stance on the Fakhar Zaman issue, Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged the left-handed batter as an impactful player but insisted that the selection committee and management are capable of making a decision in this regard.

“There is no doubt that Fakhar Zaman is an impactful player of Pakistan’s white-ball team. Because he is capable of winning matches for the team single-handedly,” said Rizwan.

“Even in high-stakes matches, Fakhar has single-handedly put us in dominant position.

“But as far as the decision is concerned, some decisions are out of our hands. The selection committee and the management are the ones to make a decision.

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Mohammad Rizwan then went on to reveal that discussions are underway between Fakhar Zaman and management before expressing his hope that the issue would be resolved soon.

“They definitely had discussions and I hope this issue gets resolved soon,” stated Rizwan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday, announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, along with the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe.

However, Fakhar’s name was missing from the central contract list and squads for the upcoming tours.

It is worth mentioning here that the left-handed batter questioned the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to exclude Babar Azam from the squad for the last two Tests of the recently concluded England series.

READ: “Selection committee to decide Fakhar Zaman’s future,” Mohsin Naqvi

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday, held a meeting with newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and his deputy Salman Ali Agha ahead of the national team’s tour to Australia.

In a meeting that was also attended by PCB COO Salman Naseer, Naqvi wished the captain and vice-captain good luck for the crucial white-ball series against Australia.

He expressed his confidence in the players to showcase their talent on the stiff tour before emphasizing team unity key to success.

“Leading the white-ball team is an honour,” Naqvi said.

“The nation expects a remarkable performance from the team during the Australia and Zimbabwe series. Our players are talented and professional, and I am confident they will showcase their best talent.

“Playing as a united team and fighting till the last ball are keys to success. If the team performs as one unit, no one can defeat you.”

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In response, white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and deputy Salman Ali Agha expressed gratitude towards Mohsin Naqvi for entrusting them with the leadership of the national white-ball side.

The duo also vowed to make every effort to meet nation’s expectations and flair well on tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

“We are determined to perform well during the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe,” Rizwan said.

“We will make every effort to meet the nation’s expectations,” he added.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour

ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), 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, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.

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Former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Shahid Afridi backed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to appoint Mohammad Rizwan as white-ball captain of the national men’s team.

Rizwan on Sunday, replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the latter stepped down from the role earlier this month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

Rizwan’s first assignment as captain will be the white-ball series in Australia, starting on 4 November.

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.

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Meanwhile, legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi was thrilled that PCB entrusted wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan to lead the team. He expressed confidence in Rizwan’s ability to steer the white-ball side to new heights.

“If you’re searching for a captain who embodies strategy, fearlessness, positivity, energy and passion, look no further than Rizwan,” wrote Afridi on X, formerly Twitter.

“I’m thrilled that @TheRealPCB has entrusted him with this important responsibility. I have full confidence that he will propel this white-ball team forward and meet the high expectations of those who want to see Pakistan cricket thrive and succeed,” he added.

The 32-year-old wicket-keeper will kick off his captaincy tenure during the Australia matches and Zimbabwe ODIs but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

In his absence, vice-captain Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan in the T20I series against Zimbabwe.

READ: Pakistan pacer comes out in support of Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan’s newly appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan vowed to lead from the front, stating he would be flexible and ready to sacrifice for the sake of the national team.

Rizwan on Sunday, replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the latter stepped down from the role earlier this month, citing to focus more on his role as a player.

Rizwan’s first assignment as captain will be the white-ball series in Australia, starting on 4 November.

Mohammad 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.

During an interview with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Digital, Rizwan highlighted the must-have qualities for a captain and massively emphasized the importance of ensuring unity in the team.

“A captain’s quality is about uniting the entire team, keeping them together, and knowing which player to call upon at critical moments. The captain’s unique quality is to keep the team together. We have young talent on our team, and this team will look different in this series,” said Rizwan.

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Mohammad Rizwan went on to assert that every single player in the national team would be a captain and he would only be the one doing the toss. The wicketkeeper batter also claimed that as a leader, he is willing to make sacrifices for the team, in any aspect of the game.

“For me, every player on the team is a captain; it’s just that I’m the one doing the toss. On the field, the whole team will look like a single unit,” stated Rizwan.

“Wicket-keeping, batting, and captaincy together are definitely a challenge, but I’ve done this before. PSL was a big event where I captained, and I’ve also been vice-captain before, so I’ll try to apply whatever I’ve learned from those experiences.

“A leader isn’t a leader if he doesn’t lead from the front. If I want something from my players but don’t set the example myself, then my players won’t receive the message, and they won’t be able to do it either.

“As a leader, I am willing to make sacrifices and stay flexible for the team’s needs, whether that’s fielding, wicketkeeping, or the batting order. Whatever is required for Pakistan, I will do it,” he concluded.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan aims to rewrite history in Australia series

Mohammad Rizwan, the newly appointed white-ball captain of Pakistan, has revealed his vision as the leader of the team ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.

The 32-year-old wicket-keeper replaced star batter Babar Azam, who stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain earlier this month.

Babar’s resignation came in the wake of the national team’s disastrous campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 where they suffered their first-ever group-stage exit.

Rizwan will kick off his stint as Pakistan captain during the upcoming tour of Australia, where Pakistan will play a three-match ODI series followed by three T20Is, scheduled to run from November 4 until November 18.

During an interview with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Digital, Rizwan shared that he wants to create back-up for the national cricket team.

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“My vision is that there should always be a backup captain prepared for Pakistan. Every position for Pakistan should have a backup, whether it’s the captain or the wicketkeeper,” he stated.

“I want to develop new leaders for Pakistan and prepare a bunch of players, who are ready to take the team forward after us,” he added.

Rizwan also expressed his aim to end Pakistan’s ICC Trophy drought, setting his sights on the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

“In the past few years, we have played semi-finals and finals in the ICC events. Now, with the Champions Trophy [2025] and T20 World Cup [2026] coming up, our vision is to bring success to Pakistan,” the wicketkeeper said.

“We’ve targeted these two events, and if we participate in the Olympics in 2028, that’s also part of my vision,” he concluded.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan aims to make history in series against Australia

Mohammad Rizwan, the newly appointed white-ball captain of Pakistan, has expressed his desire to make history by defeating Australia during the upcoming white-ball series, starting on 4 November.

Pakistan are set to embark on a white-ball tour to Australia, where they will play three ODIs and as many T20Is from November 4 until November 18. The tour is a tough challenge for the Green Shirts, considering their previous record in Australia.

Rizwan, who was appointed as the white-ball captain yesterday, will kick off his tenure with the series against Australia.

He acknowledged the team’s previous struggles in Australia, however, she shared that the team possesses the talent and determination to rewrite the history.

“Australia has always been a tough place, but in the last Test series, we lost only after coming very close. So, we learned from that experience that we can go to Australia and beat them,” said Rizwan.

“It’s not necessary that because we didn’t win in the past, we won’t win in the future. History will be made, Inshallah. Things will change, and we are going with the aim to compete and fight.”

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The 32-year-old also expressed his pride in getting the opportunity to lead Pakistan, sharing that he is ready to take the challenge.

“Leading the Pakistan team is such an honour that words cannot describe it. But on the other hand, this is also a major responsibility because the hopes of our entire nation are attached to it,” he added.

“So, it’s both an honour and a challenge at the same time. I will try to fulfil this responsibility in a way that the people expect from me.”

Rizwan mentioned that he never desired to be a captain, but he has captained in domestic cricket and will aim to achieve the same success in international cricket.

“I never desired this [captaincy], but now that I’ve been given this responsibility, I’ll do my best to fulfil it. I’ve captained before [in domestic cricket], but captaining Pakistan at the international level is different,” he stated.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour

ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), 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, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan

READ: Pakistan players depart for Australia to partake in white-ball series

Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan opened up on Sunday after his appointment as the national white-ball captain.

Rizwan’s first assignment as captain will be the white-ball series in Australia, starting on 4 November.

Mohammad 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.

The right-hander expressed pride in his appointment as Pakistan’s captain and committed to giving his best to the team as captain.

“I am deeply honoured 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 honour,” said Mohammad Rizwan.

“Joining the ranks of some of Pakistan’s legendary limited-overs captains truly is the icing on the cake.

“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.

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“Pakistan cricket holds immense potential across all formats and I am confident that, with the support of God Almighty, we will build on our recent success against England to achieve even greater heights in what promises to be a challenging and busy season of white-ball cricket.”

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi congratulated Rizwan and expressed confidence in the 32-year-old’s leadership capabilities.

“I want to extend my congratulations to Mohammad Rizwan on his appointment as Pakistan’s white-ball captain,” said Naqvi.

“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.

“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.

“The PCB has always been fully committed to supporting our players and staff, and we will continue to stand by Rizwan as he takes on this important role.

“We are optimistic that under his leadership, Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team will once again become a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.”

READ: Babar Azam, Rizwan retained in category A as PCB announces central contracts