[VIDEOS] PCB appoints Mohammad Rizwan as ODI and T20I Captain

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Rizwan confirmed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain, while Salman Ali Agha has been named vice-captain as the selectors announced Pakistan’s squads for the ODI and T20I tours of Australia and Zimbabwe from 4 November to 5 December. Salman will lead the T20I side in Zimbabwe as Rizwan is rested under a workload management plan.

The 32-year-old Rizwan, who debuted in white-ball cricket in 2015, has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is to date, scoring 5,401 runs with four centuries and accounting for 143 dismissals behind the stumps. As he leads the team in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November, Rizwan will become Pakistan’s 31st captain. For the first T20I in Brisbane on 14 November, he will be the 12th to captain Pakistan in the format.

Mohammad Rizwan:

“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. Representing Pakistan on the global stage is the greatest privilege and to now be entrusted with leading such a talented and exciting group of players is a tremendous honour. Joining the ranks of some of Pakistan’s legendary limited-overs captains truly is the icing on the cake.

“I am committed to giving my absolute best in this role and look forward to working closely with the selectors, coaches and my immensely talented teammates. Together, we aim to meet and exceed the expectations of our fans and supporters.

“Pakistan cricket holds immense potential across all formats and I am confident that, with the support of God Almighty, we will build on our recent success against England to achieve even greater heights in what promises to be a challenging and busy season of white-ball cricket.”

PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi:

“I want to extend my congratulations to Mohammad Rizwan on his appointment as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. I am confident that Rizwan’s leadership qualities, underpinned by his deep commitment and passion for the game, will help shape this talented team into a consistently successful unit.

“Rizwan has earned the respect of his peers and colleagues through his dedication and positive attitude, and I have no doubt that these qualities, combined with his game knowledge and performance, will inspire the next generation of Pakistan cricketers.

“The PCB has always been fully committed to supporting our players and staff, and we will continue to stand by Rizwan as he takes on this important role. We are optimistic that under his leadership, Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team will once again become a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.”
 
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It would’ve been dumb to have two different white ball captains, however, I would’ve gone with Agha Salman or Amir Jamal.
 
So it's do or die for Rizwan now, because after reaching the pinnacle there is only one way , let's see how long he can sustain it.

Will he be Babar in disguise remains to be seen. Some posters here will be monitoring him with a microscope
 
Pakistan cricket

Appointing crap white ball players as T20i captain, and then want to compete at the top end :ROFLMAO:
 
He can lead in odis but not t20s with low sr and stat padding mentality. T20s should be lead a selfless young captain especially in sub continent
 
Did he answer any question properly in that press conference?

Q: “are you a dummy captain who has no say in the playing XI”

Answer: “when a discussion takes place for 8 hours on selection, that’s 8 minds looking for the best for Pakistan”


What??
 
Since he's the captain, I'll support him, but I won’t tolerate any politics, favoritism, or any 'buddy-buddy' stuff or saya corp if he brings it into the Pakistan team.

Rizwan tends to latch onto people who have power for attention

he was pandering to Aqib in the last few tests, and before that, it was Babar.
 
He can lead in odis but not t20s with low sr and stat padding mentality. T20s should be lead a selfless young captain especially in sub continent
This is what will happen,

We will fail again. And then appoint someone like Abdullah Shafique as T20i captain
 
Rizwan might prove a good thinking captain who will definitely has his ideas to take the team forward.

With the SSA saga, and Naseem Shah having fitness issues surely there was no other option unless or until we live in a fools paradise and make Sharjeel Khan the captain
 
MashaAllah our T20i captain struck at 110 in the last two ICC tournaments

As an opener
 
It would’ve been dumb to have two different white ball captains, however, I would’ve gone with Agha Salman or Amir Jamal.
You cant have either of those two as your captain because I dont intend to be negative, but the great form these players are having at the moment could be temporary and last a few years, plus captaincy has shown on many occasions to make a players performance worse, so its not a good idea to get carried away and chose a player based on their form.

And they just started their international career like 2 years ago?
 
Since he's the captain, I'll support him, but I won’t tolerate any politics, favoritism, or any 'buddy-buddy' stuff or saya corp if he brings it into the Pakistan team.

Rizwan tends to latch onto people who have power for attention

he was pandering to Aqib in the last few tests, and before that, it was Babar.
You may not tolerate it but what you think matters not ( or what I think). They have few options. Firstly, you have to be in the team and then you can't have already be captain. Then you can't tweet against any policy. What choices does that leave?
 
With Mohammad Rizwan now leading Pakistan’s white-ball squad, a new era has begun. Known for his sharp cricketing mind, Rizwan has earned the captaincy through consistent performances over the past four years. As the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2021, he has proven his dedication and skill across all three formats.

If the PCB remains free from politics and corruption and provides fair opportunities for young talent, Rizwan is well-positioned to lead the team to improve its recent record. His leadership could be exactly what Pakistan needs to regain its competitive edge.
 
If I was Australia and Zimbabwe, I’d feed Rizwan’s leg side. Ensure he has a great tour of Aus and Zimbabwe. Ensure he maintains the captaincy, and then bury them in the champions trophy.
 
If I was Australia and Zimbabwe, I’d feed Rizwan’s leg side. Ensure he has a great tour of Aus and Zimbabwe. Ensure he maintains the captaincy, and then bury them in the champions trophy.
which is why you are not a cricketer and he is.
 
Not sure he should be captain in both formats. He's a sub par T20 cricketer. Doesn't send the right message regarding the format. It means a mediocre captain will be playing until 2026.

Should split the white ball captaincy.

He's alright for ODI's
 
If I was Australia and Zimbabwe, I’d feed Rizwan’s leg side. Ensure he has a great tour of Aus and Zimbabwe. Ensure he maintains the captaincy, and then bury them in the champions trophy.
Lol, Australia will bury rizwan in its first series.

Why would they let Rizzu walk over them?

Australia doesn't take pakistan seriously and now with rizwan at the helm I doubt they'll ever let pakistan tour again 🤣
 
The most polarising figure of recent times finally gets the gig. I believe everyone deserves a fair crack of the whip and Rizwan's no different. However Rizwan must first and foremost demonstrate he will put the team's interests ahead of his own.

The first time Rizwan as a captain came on my radar was during the 2018 Pakistan A series against England and New Zealand in the UAE. He constantly promoted himself ahead of Saud Shakeel or other specialist batsmen which was unjustifiable and totally at odds with the image of selflessness and piety he tries to display.


Secondly, his T20 batting remains a concern especially if Babar's in the same lineup. They're too similar and our bowling is not good enough anymore to defend par totals to justify the old RizBar strategy.

Thirdly, let's be blunt he needs to grow up. This isn't football where playacting and timewasting is a part of routine gamesmanship. There'll be a much bigger spotlight on him now. The captain cannot be overfriendly with the opposition. This is elite sport not the school playground.

His glovework is fine and have no worries on that front.
 
The most polarising figure of recent times finally gets the gig. I believe everyone deserves a fair crack of the whip and Rizwan's no different. However Rizwan must first and foremost demonstrate he will put the team's interests ahead of his own.

The first time Rizwan as a captain came on my radar was during the 2018 Pakistan A series against England and New Zealand in the UAE. He constantly promoted himself ahead of Saud Shakeel or other specialist batsmen which was unjustifiable and totally at odds with the image of selflessness and piety he tries to display.


Secondly, his T20 batting remains a concern especially if Babar's in the same lineup. They're too similar and our bowling is not good enough anymore to defend par totals to justify the old RizBar strategy.

Thirdly, let's be blunt he needs to grow up. This isn't football where playacting and timewasting is a part of routine gamesmanship. There'll be a much bigger spotlight on him now. The captain cannot be overfriendly with the opposition. This is elite sport not the school playground.

His glovework is fine and have no worries on that front.
What’s the point of sharing this now? You think people will suddenly realise he is a selfish individual?
 
What’s the point of sharing this now? You think people will suddenly realise he is a selfish individual?
Relax yaar it's Pakistan cricket - captains last about as long as a pair of socks especially in this environment. Naqvi sacked Shaheen after one series defeat.

If Rizwan doesn't deliver, he cannot then turn around and complain he never got a chance.
 
Relax yaar it's Pakistan cricket - captains last about as long as a pair of socks especially in this environment. Naqvi sacked Shaheen after one series defeat.

If Rizwan doesn't deliver, he cannot then turn around and complain he never got a chance.
Naw Naqvi won't sack rizzu lol
 
You cant have either of those two as your captain because I dont intend to be negative, but the great form these players are having at the moment could be temporary and last a few years, plus captaincy has shown on many occasions to make a players performance worse, so its not a good idea to get carried away and chose a player based on their form.

And they just started their international career like 2 years ago?

The problem is, Rizwan shouldn’t be in the T20 squad, and you wouldn’t want two different captains in LOI, if Fakhar wasn’t dropped then he would’ve been a much better option than Rizwan.
 
Great decision, finally he has been made captain. Will start watching more matches cause of him




Now rizzu aka Misbah's 2nd coming is made captain and now suddenly you're interested again?

Of all the people in cricketing history, Why are Misbah and Rizzu your 2 all time favourites? 🤣🤣 strange choice.

I don't have an all time favourite cricketer, but currently my favourite cricketer is Travis Head.

I've heard of making wasim, Mcgrath, Sachin, Pointing, Viv, Lara and many others your favourite.

Not misbah and riz 🤣
 
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I would've preferred Salman Ali Agha in ODIs. I certainly wouldn't pick Rizwan as T20I captain.
 
which is why you are not a cricketer and he is.
Let's be honest. Life Is less about what you know and more about who you know.

The people you interact with and the connections you make teach you what you know and get you ahead in life.

God has given Rizzu the luxury of knowing and getting groomed by Misbah, and Misbah was given the gift of being born in a society where degrees and etiquette determine your success in sports and not your actual cricketing ability.

And it clearly shows. Misbah and Rizwan are neck and neck and similar in playstyle and rubbish wb captaincy.

Im 100% sure that my brother @TheSultan would rather hang himself of a building then be fortunate enough to be born and groomed in the presence of Misbah ul Haq.

I wouldn't wish such a fate to anyone, I feel bad for his kid even more then rizzu 🤣
 
Lol, Australia will bury rizwan in its first series.

Why would they let Rizzu walk over them?

Australia doesn't take pakistan seriously and now with rizwan at the helm I doubt they'll ever let pakistan tour again 🤣
of course, they can bury him at will, but they might let it play out for the amusement factor.
 
How moronic it is to start criticising a captain without any game being played. PCB has to choose between Shan Rizwan Babar and SSA.

The decision was not difficult , Rizwan has no competition as a player.

Another good thing about appointment of Rizwan is that hopefully AzamKhan chapter is closed for near future
 
The most polarising figure of recent times finally gets the gig. I believe everyone deserves a fair crack of the whip and Rizwan's no different. However Rizwan must first and foremost demonstrate he will put the team's interests ahead of his own.

The first time Rizwan as a captain came on my radar was during the 2018 Pakistan A series against England and New Zealand in the UAE. He constantly promoted himself ahead of Saud Shakeel or other specialist batsmen which was unjustifiable and totally at odds with the image of selflessness and piety he tries to display.


Secondly, his T20 batting remains a concern especially if Babar's in the same lineup. They're too similar and our bowling is not good enough anymore to defend par totals to justify the old RizBar strategy.

Thirdly, let's be blunt he needs to grow up. This isn't football where playacting and timewasting is a part of routine gamesmanship. There'll be a much bigger spotlight on him now. The captain cannot be overfriendly with the opposition. This is elite sport not the school playground.

His glovework is fine and have no worries on that front.
All very fair points. Although I'm not sure if he is that polarizing outside this forum. Most people are just (very rightly) critical of his T20 performances.
 
Oh man, i know two people that are going crazy over this.

Great decision, finally he has been made captain. Will start watching more matches cause of him
Did you really stop watching in protest? For what? Misbah? 😂

For babar being dropped?

Says it all really. I’m sorry you missed out on two great victories. But don’t worry, humiliation will be resumed again on the tour to Aus. Just your cup of tea.
 
How moronic it is to start criticising a captain without any game being played. PCB has to choose between Shan Rizwan Babar and SSA.

The decision was not difficult , Rizwan has no competition as a player.

Another good thing about appointment of Rizwan is that hopefully AzamKhan chapter is closed for near future
Firstly, he shouldn’t even be in the t20 team. In ODIs if he plays at 4, he will resume the distinction of being the worst no4 in the history of the game.
 
Did you really stop watching in protest? For what? Misbah? 😂

For babar being dropped?

Says it all really. I’m sorry you missed out on two great victories. But don’t worry, humiliation will be resumed again on the tour to Aus. Just your cup of tea.
He himself admitted it in another thread.

After Misbah left, Major sahib lost all interest in cricket and life itself lost meaning for him.

2017-2019 we're very depressing times for him but from the shadows and the depths of despair, Came Muhammad rizwan. His light in the darkness and Knight in shining armour.

But for years injustice was done to rizzu as he never got captaincy and Major sahib was forced to only enjoy PSL. But now He's found his voice again.

Misbah broke his heart after retirement. Rizzu has now repaired it.

A beautiful love story, one that caused me to shed tears.
 
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The lack of options meant it has to be Rizwan for PcB , he has the backing of Kirsten and Naqvi , that is all what matters
Does Kirsten's opinion even matter? I would think Aqib Javed is the new most powerful man in Pakistan cricket now.
 
For Riz to be successful he must-
- win games
- score heavily
To win games, he must get Babar back in form( looks to be difficult at this stage). He must also get the bowlers to get their mojo back because on flat wickets they lack the pace and wicket taking ability on a consistent basis. IA he is successful, if he isn't then onto the next guy
 
Shouldn't have been selected in T20i squad let alone captaining the side. Poor decision as expected.
 
Mohammad Rizwan while addressing the press conference today:

"Our focus is on the long term, not just the short term. If you look at the squad against Zimbabwe, there’s a balance between seniors and juniors. We’re searching for the right combination for big events, and for now, I think our combination is perfect."

"In our recent tournament, the Champions One Day Cup, you can notice many things, especially the difference between seniors and younger players."

"I’ve recently been involved in these matters, and in my meetings, I’ve noticed something positive: the selection committee and mentors are trying to get on the same page. Right now, the priority is to take our young players to the international level."

"We have time before the Champions Trophy and World Cup, so Inshallah, by then, I hope we’ll have our best XI in place."

"Yes, I belong to a group—the Pakistan team group. Now, as I step in as captain, one thing is enough for me: that all 15 players are the captain. As captain, my role is to accomplish the tasks, attend presentations, and hold press conferences. If I think of myself as the king, everything would fall apart. As a leader, I am, in fact, a servant to the 15 players."

"As far as achievements in Australia are concerned, all the staff behind us is only asking us to fight, and the entire nation will see that there’ll be no shortage of effort during the Australia tour."
 
As ODI captain, he was the best choice.

Unfortunately, in T20s I don't see the team progressing forward.
What is his performance in ODI to be qualified for captaincy? I know rest of the players are crap, but that doesn't make him bradman.

I would rather give it to a youngster who can be groomed and trusted despite his failures.

Rizwan has punched above his weight in T20s but in ODIs he has nothing under his belt.
 
What is his performance in ODI to be qualified for captaincy? I know rest of the players are crap, but that doesn't make him bradman.

I would rather give it to a youngster who can be groomed and trusted despite his failures.

Rizwan has punched above his weight in T20s but in ODIs he has nothing under his belt.
He averaged 63 with a SR of 93 in 2023 across 25 ODIs. He was effectively our best batter in ODIs that year after Babar's form declined. He was also our best batter at the WC and one of the only guys that had any kind of consistency. Not to mention he played an ATG World Cup knock for a Pak batter against Sri Lanka.

Young captains don't work in Pakistan. The egos of senior players are too fragile. Miandad's appointment as captain is perhaps the best example.
 
Mohammad Rizwan while addressing the press conference today:

"Our focus is on the long term, not just the short term. If you look at the squad against Zimbabwe, there’s a balance between seniors and juniors. We’re searching for the right combination for big events, and for now, I think our combination is perfect."

"In our recent tournament, the Champions One Day Cup, you can notice many things, especially the difference between seniors and younger players."

"I’ve recently been involved in these matters, and in my meetings, I’ve noticed something positive: the selection committee and mentors are trying to get on the same page. Right now, the priority is to take our young players to the international level."

"We have time before the Champions Trophy and World Cup, so Inshallah, by then, I hope we’ll have our best XI in place."

"Yes, I belong to a group—the Pakistan team group. Now, as I step in as captain, one thing is enough for me: that all 15 players are the captain. As captain, my role is to accomplish the tasks, attend presentations, and hold press conferences. If I think of myself as the king, everything would fall apart. As a leader, I am, in fact, a servant to the 15 players."

"As far as achievements in Australia are concerned, all the staff behind us is only asking us to fight, and the entire nation will see that there’ll be no shortage of effort during the Australia tour."
Yes, I belong to a group—the Pakistan team group. Now, as I step in as captain, one thing is enough for me: that all 15 players are the captain. As captain, my role is to accomplish the tasks, attend presentations, and hold press conferences. If I think of myself as the king, everything would fall apart. As a leader, I am, in fact, a servant to the 15 players."

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. What the hell just happened?

if i think of myself as the king, everything would fall apart, As a leader I am infact a servant to the 15 players 🤣🤣.

Yar kis Kabootar ko Kaptaan bana dya hai
 
Mohammad Rizwan while addressing the press conference today:

"Yes, I belong to a group—the Pakistan team group. Now, as I step in as captain, one thing is enough for me: that all 15 players are the captain. As captain, my role is to accomplish the tasks, attend presentations, and hold press conferences. If I think of myself as the king, everything would fall apart. As a leader, I am, in fact, a servant to the 15 players."
Is this a dig at babar?
 
He averaged 63 with a SR of 93 in 2023 across 25 ODIs. He was effectively our best batter in ODIs after Babar's form declined. He was also our best batter at the WC and one of the only guys that had any kind of consistency. Not to mention he played an ATG World Cup knock for a Pak batter against Sri Lanka.

Young captains don't work in Pakistan. The egos of senior players are too fragile. Miandad's appointment as captain is perhaps the best example.
ATG wc knock? Abdullah shafiq was knocking sri lanka into next week in that game?

His knock wasnt even the best from Pakistan. Fakhar's knock against NZ was.

And he wasn't consistent in wc. He was good in 2 games only.
 
Is this a dig at babar?
It might be but it’s a lie anyways

What kind of service was he doing towards natural T20 openers as Multan Sultan’s captain by always opening himself?

What kind of service did he do for his players when Sahibzada Farhan was picked in the T20i side and forced to bat at 7 because he didn’t want to rest?

Everything he says is bull….
 
So the new captain's job is to attend presentations? That's his priority?
 
So the new captain's job is to attend presentations? That's his priority?
All his job apparently is to flip the coin and attend presentations

It doesn’t matter to him as long as he can hog an opening spot in T20is and bats at number 4 in ODIs
 
All his job apparently is to flip the coin and attend presentations

It doesn’t matter to him as long as he can hog an opening spot in T20is and bats at number 4 in ODIs
The only positive thing about Misbah's whiteball captaincy was that he was able to defend low totals on occasion. Otherwise he was rubbish

So we'll see where Rizzu stands. Omg, I can't believe I'm comparing rizwan to Mr Bottom of the barrel 🤦🏼‍♂️.
 
On a serious note do you support naqvi with this decision of rizwan being a captain?
Not particularly. I think WK, batting and captaining is too much. The problem is the lack of options- with SSA and Babar out of the reckoning, and FZ being sidelined, who is guaranteed to play?
 
Whatever PCT gained from the Test series win against England, albeit on the shoulders of two combined 80-85 years old spinners, is lost from this one decision.

I always said Riz is the MVP of PCT - probably only player now who has a remote chance of making World XI, and the only player who can claim that he is among best in world in his core job - but, that is his weakness for captaincy. He is too precious for PCT to be over burdened with captaining a struggling side (don’t be fooled with these two Test wins, Pakistan cricket is at shambles).

Captaining a struggling side with unrealistic expectations from fan base, administration is the difficult job in cricket- more so for a batting captain. 40 years back, some Kim Hughes left Australian captaincy in tears, though still he had the full backing of his team & board. For a WK who happens to be one of the mainstay of the underperforming batting - that job is even more tougher.

Theoretically, WK is the best position for captaincy - he is placed at the best seat to watch surroundings, he stays in field for the highest time, he gets most numbers of touches of the ball, he is at the centre of everything happening- position of slip fielders, angle of out fielders, keeping field honest about over-rate management, “preparing” ball for reverse swing, pep talks to keep spirit high when going gets tough, sledging, …. You name it, WK is there. For that, often WKs are the most street smart guy of the team - a go to guy for captains almost after every over.

But, it’s a rowdy job, it’s extremely cumbersome job for the multitasking nature - apart from MSD, there had hardly been any long term WK-Captains, hardly any successful one either. Some of the best ever WKs were never made long-term/permanent captains - though they were considered always among the best minds of the team - Holley, Rod Marsh, Knott, Bari, Kirmani, Boucher, Doujon, Taylor, Grout…..

Not even considering that guy is officially 32+, doing an extremely physically demanding job (it’s not a power/strength job like a fast bowler- but WKeeing stresses the endurance of a cricketer most) for three formats and the next WC is good three years away (when guy will be almost 35, again officially) - I’m not sure how PCB can justify their call? Are they planning for a stop gap job, only for Rizwan to struggle and then replace him at the wrong time (closer to next WC) with a new incumbent (or bring back Babar)?

Besides, if indeed they wanted him to captain, then probably the starting portfolio should have been Test - Pakistan doesn’t play too many of this useless format, doesn’t feel necessary or proud either, the current Test captain is struggling as a player and there isn’t a suitable alternative either. But, I don’t see any logic of making him white ball captain!!!

Like it or not, to me the best candidate for white ball captaincy was Shadab - at the right age & mindset, been invested few years of domestic captaincy and to be honest, he genuinely commands a starting spot in PAK white ball team on playing merit - in fact he is among the best white ball players in current PCT, someone who can lead from the from on his playing skills.

I was almost sure that Shadab is going to be the next man, particularly with Gary K in the mix, but as usual PCB is never a forward thinking authority- good calls come from them as the last resort. I’m afraid, eventually PCB will move towards Shadab, but again at the wrong time, ruining both his reputation & proving it to be another mistake.

Anyway, Riz is starting his captaincy career at the worst possible time & place - good luck to him. Hope, he is not sacked after couple of months into the role.
 
I was under the impression the CT 2025 is perhaps 12 months away and they could have somewhat got away with the recent selections and appointment, so there’s no grander scheme in the background. I don’t know what spell these guys have cast on the regime, but they genuinely feel this lot will win the CT which is months away now.

I don’t know how any die hard Pakistan could be optimistic about their chances in the next ICC tournament, did you not learn from the WT20? it’s going to be another diabolical outing.
 
I was under the impression the CT 2025 is perhaps 12 months away and they could have somewhat got away with the recent selections and appointment, so there’s no grander scheme in the background. I don’t know what spell these guys have cast on the regime, but they genuinely feel this lot will win the CT which is months away now.

I don’t know how any die hard Pakistan could be optimistic about their chances in the next ICC tournament, did you not learn from the WT20? it’s going to be another diabolical outing.
It is poetic though.

Rizwan will lose the trophy that sarfaraz won.

In a way ig Misbah won. Misbah wanted to destroy sarfi's career and he succeeded. CT is the final reminder and rizzu losing it is symbolic that he would cause the death of pakistan's wb cricket.

Ct defending champions is literally the only thing pakistan has left to latch onto in terms of white ball?
 
Whatever PCT gained from the Test series win against England, albeit on the shoulders of two combined 80-85 years old spinners, is lost from this one decision.

I always said Riz is the MVP of PCT - probably only player now who has a remote chance of making World XI, and the only player who can claim that he is among best in world in his core job - but, that is his weakness for captaincy. He is too precious for PCT to be over burdened with captaining a struggling side (don’t be fooled with these two Test wins, Pakistan cricket is at shambles).

Captaining a struggling side with unrealistic expectations from fan base, administration is the difficult job in cricket- more so for a batting captain. 40 years back, some Kim Hughes left Australian captaincy in tears, though still he had the full backing of his team & board. For a WK who happens to be one of the mainstay of the underperforming batting - that job is even more tougher.

Theoretically, WK is the best position for captaincy - he is placed at the best seat to watch surroundings, he stays in field for the highest time, he gets most numbers of touches of the ball, he is at the centre of everything happening- position of slip fielders, angle of out fielders, keeping field honest about over-rate management, “preparing” ball for reverse swing, pep talks to keep spirit high when going gets tough, sledging, …. You name it, WK is there. For that, often WKs are the most street smart guy of the team - a go to guy for captains almost after every over.

But, it’s a rowdy job, it’s extremely cumbersome job for the multitasking nature - apart from MSD, there had hardly been any long term WK-Captains, hardly any successful one either. Some of the best ever WKs were never made long-term/permanent captains - though they were considered always among the best minds of the team - Holley, Rod Marsh, Knott, Bari, Kirmani, Boucher, Doujon, Taylor, Grout…..

Not even considering that guy is officially 32+, doing an extremely physically demanding job (it’s not a power/strength job like a fast bowler- but WKeeing stresses the endurance of a cricketer most) for three formats and the next WC is good three years away (when guy will be almost 35, again officially) - I’m not sure how PCB can justify their call? Are they planning for a stop gap job, only for Rizwan to struggle and then replace him at the wrong time (closer to next WC) with a new incumbent (or bring back Babar)?

Besides, if indeed they wanted him to captain, then probably the starting portfolio should have been Test - Pakistan doesn’t play too many of this useless format, doesn’t feel necessary or proud either, the current Test captain is struggling as a player and there isn’t a suitable alternative either. But, I don’t see any logic of making him white ball captain!!!

Like it or not, to me the best candidate for white ball captaincy was Shadab - at the right age & mindset, been invested few years of domestic captaincy and to be honest, he genuinely commands a starting spot in PAK white ball team on playing merit - in fact he is among the best white ball players in current PCT, someone who can lead from the from on his playing skills.

I was almost sure that Shadab is going to be the next man, particularly with Gary K in the mix, but as usual PCB is never a forward thinking authority- good calls come from them as the last resort. I’m afraid, eventually PCB will move towards Shadab, but again at the wrong time, ruining both his reputation & proving it to be another mistake.

Anyway, Riz is starting his captaincy career at the worst possible time & place - good luck to him. Hope, he is not sacked after couple of months into the role.
200% agree, and I am also a Rizwan fan, Rizwan as the Test and ODI player, I think if not Shadab they could have gone with Agha Salman as Whiteball captain.
 
It is poetic though.

Rizwan will lose the trophy that sarfaraz won.

In a way ig Misbah won. Misbah wanted to destroy sarfi's career and he succeeded. CT is the final reminder and rizzu losing it is symbolic that he would cause the death of pakistan's wb cricket.

Ct defending champions is literally the only thing pakistan has left to latch onto in terms of white ball?

This is mind boggling bro, they have wiped out all the good will from the Test series victory, and yes us fans enjoyed that and for good reason. I thought maybe there is a grander scheme but there isn’t, they’ve even taken out the one decent LOI player they had in Fakhar to pave the way for Rizwan, the squad is soul destroying and that’s a reflection on the leader to since he made it clear that he wants to have the final say.
 
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