Change in Leadership: Mohammad Rizwan appointed as Pakistan's new white-ball captain, Salman Ali Agha named vice-captain

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi made a significant announcement on Sunday, naming Mohammad Rizwan as the new Pakistan white-ball captain and Salman Ali Agha as his deputy. This decision was revealed shortly after the squads for the upcoming Australia and Zimbabwe tour were unveiled. In a statement to the press, Naqvi expressed his confidence in Rizwan's leadership abilities, stating, "We will provide him with the necessary support. It is essential to nurture our emerging talent and enhance the quality of our domestic cricket setup."

During the same press conference, the PCB chairman said that Babar Azam was not pushed by the board to leave the captaincy. He said that the right-handed batter told him that he wants to let go of the leadership to focus on his own game.

Before the start of the England Test series, Babar Azam had announced that he is stepping down as Pakistan's white-ball captain to "prioritise his performance." However, poor returns in the first Test meant that Babar was dropped from the squad for the 2nd and 3rd Test against England.

Speaking of Mohammad Rizwan, he has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is for Pakistan. In both the formats, Rizwan averages 40.15 (ODIs) and 48.72 (T20Is).

Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah who were dropped from Pakistan's Test squad, have made their way back for the upcoming ODI and T20I series against Australia. However, the trio have been rested for the Zimbabwe series.

The Australia tour will run from November 4-18, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be played from November 24 to December 5.

Mohammad Rizwan will be available for the Australia matches and Zimbabwe ODIs, but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

Uncapped players in the ODI squad include Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Saim Ayub. Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha join the T20I squad for the first time.

The PCB has also awarded 12-month central contracts to 25 men’s cricketers for the 2024-25 international season, effective from July 1, 2024. The contracts have been offered under the structure that was agreed last year between the players and the PCB for a three-year period.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been awarded Category A contracts while Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood have been named in Category B list.

Category C has nine players while Category D has 11 players.