NEW DELHI: After being appointed as Pakistan’s new white-ball captain, wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan delivered a powerful message about leadership and expectations.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Rizwan said, “If I start considering myself a king as captain, then everything will fall apart. As a leader, I am here to serve the 15 men of the team. This is how it should be.”
Rizwan emphasized the importance of team unity and fighting spirit. “Inshallah, we have the messages and support from everyone, and they are only asking us one thing: fight, fight, and fight. This message keeps coming, and we will try our best to show the nation that there is no shortage of fight in us,” he added.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Member Selection Committee Aqib Javed Press Conference | PCB
Rizwan also underlined the importance of humility and leaving results in the hands of Allah. “We have left the results to Allah, and whatever the outcome, we will accept it. But one thing we guarantee is that our fighting spirit will never waver.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Rizwan’s appointment as the captain for the upcoming white-ball tours of Australia and Zimbabwe on Sunday, following Babar Azam’s resignation earlier this month.
Rizwan, 32, has previously captained Pakistan in two Tests during a tour of New Zealand in 2020 when Azam was injured but had not led in limited-overs formats until now.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi explained that the decision to appoint Rizwan came after consulting key stakeholders. “We carefully evaluated all options before choosing Rizwan as skipper for the white-ball team,” Naqvi said.
Rizwan will have Salman Ali Agha as his vice-captain. Azam and Shaheen Afridi, meanwhile, will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour. However, both will feature in Pakistan’s ODI and T20I series against Australia.
Pakistan will kick off their Australia tour with three ODIs starting November 4, followed by three T20Is. New faces like Aamer Jamal, Arafat Minhas, and Saim Ayub have been included, signalling a fresh approach.
