- PCB appoints Salman Ali Agha as vice-captain of Pakistan cricket team
Lahore: Wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed as the captain of the Pakistan white-ball cricket team, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Sunday.
This development came after Babar Azam, on October 2, stepped down from his position as captain of the white-ball teams, saying that he wanted to “prioritize my performance, enjoy batting, and spend quality time with the family.”
Rizwan’s first assignment as captain will be a three-match One Day International (ODI) and T20I series against Australia starting from November 4.
Furthermore, Naqvi announced that Salman Ali Agha, the Pakistani cricketer, has been appointed as the vice-captain of the Pakistan cricket team.
However, Agha will lead the T20I team in Zimbabwe as Rizwan is rested under a workload management plan, a press release issued by cricket’s governing body said.
The 32-year-old Rizwan, who made his debut in white-ball cricket in 2015, has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is so far, scoring 5,401 runs with four centuries and causing 143 dismissals behind the stumps.
While leading the team in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on November 4, Rizwan will become Pakistan’s 31st captain. For the first T20I in Brisbane on November 14, he will be the Pakistan captain’s 12th in the format.
Addressing the press conference alongside the newly appointed captain and selectors, the PCB chief said that after Babar’s resignation from the captaincy, the board had initiated consultations with the selection committee and mentors.
“There was almost a consensus that Rizwan should be the captain and Salman should be the vice-captain,” he said, adding that both players have been in touch with the selectors and had met Rizwan yesterday as well.
He wished the players well and prayed for their success, while emphasizing the need to promote young talent and respect for local cricket.
The chairman also praised the selection committee for “working non-stop” in the two Tests against England – which the Green Shirts won and secured a much-needed series win three years later.
Describing Babar as an “asset” to the Pakistan cricket team, Naqvi confirmed that the player had approached him and refused to play as captain. “It was his (Azzam’s) decision (…) He wanted to focus on his game.”
He also said that they want the former captain to return to form – a reference to his declining batting performance in all formats.
“A lot has been accomplished, but there is still a lot to be achieved,” he added.
Asked about opener Fakhar Zaman, Naqvi acknowledged there was an issue with the left-handed batsman’s recent tweet, but said the bigger issue was his “fitness”.
For his part, Radwan praised the recently announced squads for the Australian tour, saying: “It is a balanced team that includes experienced and young people.”
“Our long-term focus is to achieve a good mix in the team,” he said, noting that in the white-ball format, the focus should be on “physical fitness.”
He also praised Al-Shabab’s performance in the recent Champions One-Day Cup, saying their priority is to take young players to the international level and remove the gap.
Earlier today, the cricket board announced the team that will face Australia and Zimbabwe.
Australia ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (Captain), Salman Ali Agha (Vice-Captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hasibullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad . Irrfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Australia’s T20I squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jehandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Umair Ben. Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Muqim, Usman Khan.
Zimbabwe ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (Captain), Salman Ali Agha (Vice-Captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Danial, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hasibullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad . Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Shahnawaz Dhani, and Tayyab Tahir
Zimbabwe T20I squad: Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Ahmed Danial, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Hasibullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Umair Bin Youssef, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan Sufyan Muqeem, Tayyab Taher, and Othman Khan.