Will Mohammad Rizwan be appointed Pakistan team captain?

KARACHI: With Pakistan’s white-ball tour of Australia around the corner, the leadership void remains a major concern for the Green Shirts.

On Oct 2, Babar Azam officially stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain, leading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to begin the search for a new leader in the ODI and T20I formats.

Reports indicated that experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan has emerged as a potential candidate to captain the national team in white-ball format.

Furthermore, reports claimed that the wicketkeeper and the cricket governing body have reached a final agreement related to captaincy.

If Rizwan becomes the new captain, his first assignment will be a three-match ODIs and T20Is series against Australia starting from November 4.

It is pertinent to mention here that the names of opener Fakhar Zaman and all-rounder Shadab Khan also came under consideration. However, both players are now likely to miss Australia tour due to fitness issues and poor form, respectively.

Meanwhile, sources claimed that the selection committee has also finalised the squads for the Australia tour, with new faces including Mehran Mumtaz and Sufiyan Muqeem expected to get a maiden call-up.

Earlier, pacer Mohammad Hasnain, who last played ODI in 2023, is likely to make a comeback. Hasnain impressed selectors with standout performances in the recent Champions Cup and President’s Cup.

All-rounder Aamir Jamal and wicketkeeper-batsman Haseebullah are also considered for inclusion in the squad for the white-ball series in Australia.

Both sides will play the first ODI match on November 4 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, the second on Nov 8 at Adelaide Oval, and the third on Nov 10 at Perth Stadium.

After the conclusion of the ODI matches, the Green Shirts will take on the Kangaroos in three T20 matches from November 14 to 18.

First T20 will be played on November 14 at The Gabba, Brisbane, second on November 16 at SCG, Sydney, and the third and final match on November 18 at Bellerive Oval, Hobart.

Cricket Australia had unveiled a 14-member squad for the upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan, which is set to kick off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 4.

With Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head ruled out of the series due to paternity leave, Pat Cummins has returned to the side as captain along with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short as openers, the board said on Monday.

Australia squad for ODIs

Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa