Mohammad Rizwan, a seasoned wicketkeeper-battler, was chosen as Pakistan’s men’s T20I squad vice-captain on Monday. In the forthcoming five-match T20I series in New Zealand, Shaheen Afridi will captain the team. from January 12 until January 21.
Pakistan will play a 5-match series against New Zealand to kick off their full-fledged T20 World Cup preparations. Azam Khan, Haseebullah, and Rizwan—who is probably going to play as a frontline batter—are their three designated wicketkeepers.
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Mohammad Rizwan is named vice-captain of Pakistan’s Twenty20 cricket squad
The selection of Muhammad Rizwan as the vice-captain of Pakistan’s men’s T20 international team was confirmed on Monday, January 8. Beginning on January 12, Rizwan will be captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s deputy for the next five-match series against New Zealand.
Babar Azam resigned as all-format captain of the T20I squad after the side’s disastrous performance in the ODI World Cup in India, and fast bowler Shaheen Afridi was chosen as the new captain. On Monday, January 8, Afridi’s team arrived in Auckland before the start of the series.
The inclusion of Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi in their core leadership group has given the Pakistani team a significant confidence boost ahead of the T20 World Cup. Having participated in 85 T20Is for Pakistan and amassed 2797 runs, including 125 fifties, Rizwan has been a pillar of the squad.
“It is a privilege to be selected as Pakistan Men’s T20I vice-captain. I am appreciative that the PCB gave me this duty. Following his appointment, Rizwan stated, “I am excited to collaborate with the captain, coaching staff, and my teammates while contributing to the team’s success.
Rizwan, one of the team’s more experienced players, has never had the chance to captain the team—not even as a stand-in skipper in Twenty20 international cricket. But while Babar Azam led the team as captain, Rizwan was vital to the unit. In the T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022, Babar captained the team. They advanced to the final in 2022, one year after losing in the UAE semi-final.
Since their premier pacer, Shaheen is a fast bowler, Rizwan’s hiring makes strategic sense in light of Shaheen’s assumption of the captaincy.