Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan could not find a place in the Pakistan squad for the T20I series against Australia.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the 16-member squad for the T20I series against Australia. The three-match series is scheduled to commence on January 29, 2026 at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. Babar Azam has been recalled to the squad, whereas Mohammad Rizwan remains missing.
The series will be vital for the preparation of both the teams on the road to the T20 World Cup 2026. Both With the conditions in Pakistan being similar to that of the World Cup venues, both teams would be geared up ahead of the coveted tournament.
The board has recalled Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi to the 16-member squad after missing out on the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. To add to that, Shadab Khan continues to work on his comeback into the side along with other potential spinners.
For a long time now, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been in and out of the Pakistan squad. That being said, the Rizwan’s strike-rate in T20s has been a real cause of concern throughout his career. The wicketkeeper-batter averages 125.37 in the shortest format.
In the most recent 10 games of the Big Bash League (BBL), the Pakistani player was not able to make a mark. Furthermore, he was the first overseas player to be retired out in the league. However, for a batter who was striking at just above a 100 in the BBL, one cannot expect anything more either.
Rizwan could accumulate just 187 runs across 10 innings in the BBL this season with an average of 18.7, which was too much on the lower side. None of his innings could take off despite a few getting to starts. There would be no doubts so as to Mohammad Rizwan’s exclusion from the side.
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Salman Ali Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.
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