On October 27, Pakistan named Mohammad Rizwan as captain of their white-ball teams, while Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah were included in the one-day international and T20 squads for next month’s Australia tour. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced that all-rounder Salman Ali Agha will serve as Rizwan’s vice-captain. ‘I’m deeply honored to be appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain,’ Rizwan said in a statement.”
Representing Pakistan on the global stage is the highest privilege, and being entrusted to lead such a talented and dynamic group of players is a true honor. I’m fully committed to giving my all in this role and look forward to working closely with the selectors, coaches, and my incredibly skilled teammates. Together, we aim to meet and exceed the expectations of our fans and supporters.”
The 32-year-old Rizwan has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is since his white-ball debut in 2015, accumulating a total of 5,401 runs. Babar stepped down as captain in all three formats last year after Pakistan did not advance to the knockout stage of the 50-overs World Cup. He returned as white-ball captain in March for the T20 World Cup, where the team also failed to reach the Super Eight. He resigned from the position again this month, citing the need to lighten his workload.
The batting mainstay, along with pace bowlers Afridi and Naseem, was dropped by Pakistan for the last two Tests against England due to inconsistent form, and the team went on to secure a 2-1 series victory on Saturday. The trio will not participate in the matches against Zimbabwe that follow the Australian series. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rizwan will be available for the games against Australia and the ODIs against Zimbabwe but will be rested for the T20Is, with Agha stepping in to take his place.
“Pakistan will face Australia and Zimbabwe in three ODIs and three T20Is each. The Australia tour is scheduled from November 4 to 18, followed by the matches in Bulawayo from November 24 to December 5.
Pakistan Squads:
Australia Tour:
ODIs: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi.
T20Is: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.
Zimbabwe Tour:
ODIs: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir.
T20Is: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan.”