Mohammad Rizwan named Pakistan T20I vice-captain

 He succeeds Shadab Khan and will work closely with Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was named full-time T20I captain.

                              Mohammad Rizwan named Pakistan T20I vice-captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board [PCB] has named Mohammad Rizwan as the T20I team's vice-captain ahead of their five-match series against New Zealand. The wicket-keeper batter replaces Shadab Khan, who is recovering from an ankle injury that forced him to miss the New Zealand tour.

Rizwan's appointment is the latest in a series of changes to the Pakistan leadership group and board structure since Babar Azam stepped down as captain of all formats of the game following the 2023 ODI World Cup. Pakistan finished fifth in the table, with only four wins in nine matches, and did not advance to the knockout stage. Rizwan, 31, will serve as a deputy to Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was named captain of the T20I team.

Rizwan has previous leadership experience on both the international and domestic levels. He led Pakistan in two Tests against New Zealand in late 2020 and early 2021, after Babar was sidelined due to a fractured right thumb. Rizwan has been the Multan Sultans' captain in the Pakistan Super League since 2021. Under his leadership, the Sultans won the title in 2021 and qualified for the finals in 2022 and 2023. In total, he has led 64 of the 238 T20s he has participated in.

"It is an honour to be named vice-captain of the Pakistan Men's T20I team. I thank the PCB for entrusting me with this responsibility. I am excited to work closely with the captain, coaching staff, and my teammates to contribute to the team's success," Rizwan said.

Rizwan has a stellar T20I record, scoring 2797 runs in 73 innings at an average of 49.07, including 25 half-centuries and one century. His strike rate of 127.30 has, however, been criticised in recent years. He has also taken 41 catches and made 11 stumpings.

Pakistan is coming off a humiliating 3-0 Test Aseries loss to Australia and will be hoping that a change in format will bring about a turnaround in fortunes. They are scheduled to play five T20Is in New Zealand, the first of which begins on January 12 in Auckland. They will then travel to Hamilton for the second T20I, followed by Dunedin and Christchurch for the final two games.