Mohammad Rizwan has been named as Pakistan’s new white-ball captain. He has replaced Babar Azam, who recently resigned from the post. The wicker-keeper batter will lead the Men in Green in the upcoming tour of Australia. The visitors will play one-day internationals and T20 matches against Australia.
Rizwan will also lead the team in fifty-over games against Zimbabwe but the wicker-keeper batter has been rested for the shortest format contests in the African country.
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 27, 2024
Meanwhile, Pakistan recalled Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for next month’s white-ball series in Australia.
Babar was dropped for the last two test matches against England for his indifferent form in red-ball cricket while Afridi and Naseem were rested as Pakistan went for an all-spin attack to beat the tourists 2-1.
Pakistan opens its white-ball series in Australia with the first ODI in Melbourne on Nov. 4. Adelaide and Perth will host the remaining two ODIs before Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart host three T20Is from Nov. 14-18.
Babar, Afridi and Naseem will be rested for the three ODIs and three T20s in Zimbabwe with the selectors picking several top performers from domestic white-ball cricket. Pakistan will play all six white-ball games against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo from Nov. 24-Dec. 5.
All-rounder Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed are the other notable white-ball players who have been left out.
Fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain was recalled after his recent stellar performance in the domestic Champions Cup one-day tournament in which he took 17 wickets. Hasnain played his last international against New Zealand in January 2023 but was sidelined after sustaining an ankle injury during the Sri Lanka Premier League last year.
Australia tour squads:
ODIs: Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi
T20Is: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
Zimbabwe tour squads:
ODIs: Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir
T20Is: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan