(Image Source: X-Pakistan Cricket)
[Saba Sports News] Mohammad Rizwan has been named the new vice-captain of the Pakistan T20I cricket team, as announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on their social media platforms. Rizwan will serve as the deputy to newly appointed T20I captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, starting with Pakistan’s upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, beginning on January 12. This change follows Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, leading to the replacement of Babar Azam as captain in all formats.
Afridi’s leadership, coupled with Rizwan’s support as vice-captain, is expected to ease the workload on Afridi, who is just 23 years old. Pakistan has already arrived in Auckland for their series against the Black Caps, gearing up for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Recently, Pakistan faced a tough Test series against Australia, where they were unable to secure a win in any of the matches. Looking ahead, the team aims to refocus on shorter formats, starting with the New Zealand series. Pakistan has a notable history in T20 World Cups, having reached the final in 2022 and the semi-final in 2021.
The Pakistan squad for the New Zealand T20Is includes Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan.