Pakistan News: Rizwan captain; Babar, Afridi and Naseem return as PCB announces teams for tours of Australia and Zimbabwe

Mohammad Rizwan has been announced as Pakistan’s new white-ball captain, with his first assignment being the ODI and T20I series against Australia next month. The team marks the return of Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. The trio, omitted from Pakistan’s last two Tests against England, return in both white-ball formats. None of them will feature in the ODI or T20I series in Zimbabwe that immediately follows.

Salman Ali Agha, who is in all four white-ball teams for away tours, has been named vice-captain. He will captain the team in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, and Rizwan will not take part in that series.

“I am committed to giving my best in this role and look forward to working closely with the selectors, coaches and my immensely talented teammates,” the PCB attributed to Rizwan stated. “Together, our goal is to meet and exceed the expectations of our fans and followers.”

Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, who both missed out on a central contract, do not feature in any team, but central contracts were not always a reliable indicator of team composition. Mohammad Hasnain did not get a central contract, but his performance in the Champions One-Day Cup, where he was Player of the Tournament, has earned him a place in all four squads. Shadab Khan has been dropped, left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem has been added to both the T20I traveling parties, while bowling all-rounder Qasim Akram will go to Zimbabwe for the T20Is.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that Fakhar’s dispute with the PCB over a tweet he posted in opposition to Babar being dropped from the Test side was a factor in his omission, although according to the chairman, it was not the reason. major. “The tweet [he posted] “It’s a problem for us,” Naqvi said. “Though it doesn’t matter so much that he fails his physical fitness test.” We have to make a decision on your show cause notice, and then you have to pass your fitness test. That’s why it’s not there. He spoke very well in the connection field, and it was him raising his voice that led us to reform our international department. I appreciate it. But it is unacceptable for a player to tweet against the selection committee. That is not allowed and never will be.”

Pakistan Shaheens goalkeeper Mohammad Haris has also fallen down the pecking order, failing to make either squad, and wicketkeeper Haseebullah Khan, who played a solitary T20I in New Zealand in January, is included in the four . His Peshawar Zalmi teammate Saim Ayub, who primarily made his name as a top-order power batsman in T20, will not feature in any of the T20I series after a sustained, lean run in the format, but has spent the cutoff for both ODIs. squads.

The ODI series against Australia, which will begin on November 4, is Pakistan’s first in this format since the World Cup in India a year earlier. A busy period begins in the 50-over format in preparation for the Champions Trophy in February, the first ICC event Pakistan will host since the 1996 World Cup. The ODIs in Australia and Zimbabwe are followed by white-ball games in both formats against South Africa and a triple series against New Zealand and South Africa in Multan just before the start of the Champions Trophy.

Australian tour (November 4-18)
Pakistan ODI Team: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Irfan Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi

T20I Team: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wk), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem , Usman Khan.

Zimbabwe tour (November 24 – December 5)
ODI Team: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Irfan Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Saim Ayub, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir

T20I Team: Agha Salman (captain), Abbas Afridi, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Omair Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan

11.50 GMT: This story was updated as Rizwan was confirmed as captain.

Danyal Rasool is Pakistan correspondent for Pak Gazette. @danny61000

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