Mohammad Rizwan sacked as Pakistan's ODI captain: new skipper named ahead of SA One-Dayers
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Mohammad Rizwan sacked as Pakistan's ODI captain: new skipper named ahead of SA One-Dayers")
Rizwan sacked as Pakistan's ODI captain: new skipper named for SA One-Dayers Photograph: (AFP)
Under Rizwan's white-ball captaincy, Pakistan won an ODI series in Australia and South Africa last year.
The captaincy conundrum continues to hit Pakistan Cricket. Shortly after day one of the ongoing Rawalpindi Test against South Africa concluded, the PCB dropped a shocking announcement by sacking keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as their ODI captain, replacing him with frontline seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi. Rizwan, 33 and Afridi, 25, are both part of the second Test against the Proteas. Per the latest report, this decision, according to the PCB, was taken following a meeting in Islamabad between the selection committee and white-ball head coach Mike Hesson. Let along providing any reason for his sacking, the PCB’s official statement did not even mention Rizwan’s name.
Rizwan’s removal as the ODI captain was always on the cards, mainly since the PCB released a statement over the weekend, declining to confirm him as the One-Day skipper ahead of the home white-ball series against South Africa. The statement, however, read that Hesson had asked PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi to convene a meeting with the selection committee and the advisory committee to appoint a new skipper.
It also suggests that it was not only Hesson who wanted him removed as the ODI captain but also the PCB’s top staff.
Meanwhile, Shaheen, who endured a disappointing first run as Pakistan’s white-ball captain earlier, returns to lead the 50-over side. Shortly after the PCB announced him the ODI and T20I captain for the away New Zealand T20Is in January last year, which Pakistan lost 1-4, the board sacked Afridi under similar circumstances, with former captain Babar Azam replacing him a week later.
Rizwan’s rise and fall as PAK captain
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
Rizwan was tipped to be the most secured Pakistan captain across formats, having won as a captain in Australia and South Africa last year. While bilateral series results favoured him, Pakistan’s first round exit in home Champions Trophy earlier this year was the beginning of the end of his captaincy tenure.
On the other hand, the newly-appointed ODI captain, Afridi, was Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in the One-Dayers last year, and key to the side’s success Down Under and in South Africa. Since the last ODI World Cup two years ago, no pacer from a Full Member side has picked the more wickets than him (45) in the ODIs.
Afridi’s first assignment as the ODI skipper begins with a three-match One-Day series against South Africa starting in Faisalabad next month.
