Mohammad Rizwan named white-ball captain as Pakistan announces squads for Australia, Zimbabwe tours

Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed as Pakistan's new white-ball captain, with Salman Ali Agha stepping in as his deputy.

This decision follows Babar Azam’s choice to step down as captain earlier this month to focus more on his personal form.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced Rizwan’s new role at a press conference on Sunday in Lahore.

“I spoke with all five mentors about the white-ball captaincy, and it was almost a unanimous decision that Rizwan should succeed Babar as captain. Most of the mentors and the selection committee recommended Rizwan for the role. I also had an in-depth conversation with Rizwan yesterday, and Salman Ali Agha will be the vice-captain,” Naqvi said.

“I am deeply honored 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 honor,” Rizwan said.

The Pakistan selectors announced multiple 15-member squads on Sunday morning for the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe. These tours will see Pakistan playing three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against both teams.

Scheduled from November 4, the Australia tour will span until November 18, while matches in Zimbabwe will occur from November 24 through December 5.

Rotation policy

Rizwan will lead the team during the Australia tour and in Zimbabwe's ODI series, but he will sit out for the T20Is in Zimbabwe, with Salman Ali Agha stepping up as captain for that part of the tour. This appointment is particularly notable for Salman, as it marks his first inclusion in Pakistan’s T20I squad. He is coming off an impressive season in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where his consistent middle-order performances helped Islamabad United clinch the PSL 2024 title.

Another key highlight for Pakistan is the return of seasoned players Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah for the Australia tour. These players were rested during Pakistan’s last two Tests against England and will resume for the Australian ODIs. However, they will sit out for the Zimbabwe leg of the tour.

Pakistan's Babar Azam (first from right), Shaheen Shah Afridi (second from right) and Naseem Shah (third from right) return for the Australia tour.Pakistan Cricket Board

This player rotation policy aligns with the PCB's focus on balancing experience and fresh talent.

In a press release, the PCB explained, “This approach follows the selectors’ rotation policy and provides opportunities to domestic performers, aligning with the team’s strategy for the ICC Champions Trophy and beyond.”

Emerging players getting opportunities

Several emerging players are also getting a chance for the first time in the national squad.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem is a part of both T20I squads, while Faisal Akram finds a spot in the ODI squads, ensuring that Pakistan's spin attack remains versatile.

Arafat Minhas and Jahandad Khan are also included due to their performances in domestic cricket and with Pakistan Shaheens. Jahandad will be part of both T20I squads, while Arafat is in the ODI and T20I squads for Australia and the T20I squad for Zimbabwe, though he is unexpectedly left out of Zimbabwe’s ODI squad.

Abbas Afridi, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Khan, will also join the T20I squads on both tours, while Ahmed Daniyal and Tayyab Tahir have been selected exclusively for both formats for the Zimbabwe series.

Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed and Muhammad Irfan Khan made their T20I debuts for Pakistan against New Zealand in April, 2024.PCB

Meanwhile, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam and Saim Ayub are selected solely for the ODIs.

Four players – Haseebullah, Haris Rauf, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Salman Ali Agha – will be present in all four squads.

Meanwhile, the fast-bowling unit will also have a boost with Mohammad Hasnain’s return. The right-armer earned a call-up after a stellar performance in the Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad, where he took 17 wickets. This performance has earned him a spot in both the Australia and Zimbabwe ODI squads and the Zimbabwe T20I squad.

Notable absences

Pakistan’s last ODI match was during the 2023 World Cup, held almost a year ago. From that team, only six players — Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi — have been included in the squad for the upcoming tour of Australia.

Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, both of whom lost their central contracts, are absent from the squad. Imam’s exclusion is understandable due to his lackluster performance in the World Cup, but Fakhar, who excelled during the tournament, including a match-winning century against New Zealand, was omitted due to disciplinary and fitness issues than performance.

Fakhar Zaman has been dropped from Pakistan's white-ball squads.Pakistan Cricket Board

Zaman faced criticism from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for his public comments questioning the selectors’ decision to drop Babar Azam from the Test squad.

“His [Fakhar] tweet was certainly an issue, but it wasn’t as significant as his failure in the fitness test. These two factors posed issues for him. The decision on his show-cause notice is still pending, and he needs to pass the fitness test. If the selection committee decides not to pick someone, it doesn’t mean they should start tweeting about it," PCB chairman confirmed.

The PCB appears focused on maintaining discipline among players and is now turning its attention to rewarding strong domestic performers and new talents instead of retaining those who have been underperforming.

Hence, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed have been dropped from both the ODI and T20I squads. Since 2023, the leg-spinner has claimed only 15 wickets in 17 ODI matches. His batting in ODIs has also struggled, with just 259 runs across 13 innings, averaging 21.58. Iftikhar also struggled in the recent T20 World Cup 2023, managing only 23 runs across his two innings.

Selector Aqib Javed explained the decision, stating, "Our priority is to prepare for upcoming major events, and it's important to give younger players a chance to prove themselves. Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed are still part of our plans; both are talented players who need to return to domestic cricket to regain their form."

Babar, Faisal Akram, Rauf, Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Naseem and Shaheen are set to depart for Melbourne on October 28, while the rest of the ODI squad will leave on October 29. Pakistan's white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, will join the team in Melbourne on October 28.

Squads for Australia tour

ODI squad: 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: 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

Squads for Zimbabwe tour

ODI squad: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir

T20I squad: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan