The recently selected Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team captain, Mohammad Rizwan, said that he will not give surety of any prompt changes within the team under his captaincy.
Before leaving for Australia Rizwan spoke-up to the media, he admired the positive impact of Aaqib Javed’s decisions on the team and repeated the importance of making pitches that are more favourable for the spinners.
Rizwan stated, “Aaqib Javed’s decisions have proven beneficial for the team. It has been said before that we can achieve success by making spin-friendly pitches for our home series.”
Addressing the challenges of playing in Australia, Rizwan stated, “The pitches in Australia are not under Aaqib Javed’s control. The conditions there are different and tough. We have worked hard, and I hope for good results.”
Rizwan also commented on Fakhar Zaman’s performance in the game, saying, “Fakhar Zaman is a player who can impact the game significantly. However, the decisions regarding the team are not in our hands. He has the ability to turn a match on his own.”
Regarding coaching changes, he stated, “Whoever comes as a coach, the decisions are up to the board and management. If my opinion is sought, I will certainly provide it. There will not be a sudden transformation with my captaincy.”
Rizwan also added that positive progress was already underway before he took charge of the captaincy, suggesting that significant changes wouldn’t happen immediately.
He stressed that he never desired for the role of captaincy, rather, he accepted it as a duty given to him by Allah. “Even when I was not captain, my opinions held weight. I used to provide input during Sarfaraz Ahmed’s captaincy.”
He also wishes that leadership roles should be performed by every player of the team, stating, “I want to ensure that when I leave, there are multiple leaders within the team.”
Rizwan highlighted that the team is concerned with determining their options for opening batting positions in T20 matches. They are focused on finding the optimal combination as they prepare for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Talking about their experience in India, Rizwan said, “When we went to India, we received a lot of love, and everyone witnessed that. The public will warmly welcome the Indian team in Pakistan as well. Whether the Indian team participates in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan is something the board knows better.”
Pakistan are scheduled to play a 3-match ODI and T20 series against Australia. The ODI series will begin on 4th November. The Pakistan squad is already in Australia practising hard for the upcoming series against Australia. Pakistan last won an ODI series in Australia 22 years ago. This time the side will try to breach the curse.
ODI series schedule:
4 November: MCG, Melbourne (D/N)
8 November: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
10 November: Perth Stadium, Perth (D/N)
T20I series schedule:
14 November: The Gabba, Brisbane (N)
16 November: SCG, Sydney (N)
18 November: Bellerive Oval, Hobart (N)
ODI Squad for Australia tour: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi
T20I Squad for Australia tour: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
