Furious Mohammad Rizwan Issues Ultimatum to Pakistan Cricket Board: ‘Grant Authority or Else…’

A few days after Pakistan’s disappointing performance in a white-ball tour of New Zealand, skipper Mohammad Rizwan, along with star batter Babar Azam, is likely to meet Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in the coming days. The meeting aims to seek clarity on Rizwan’s exclusion from the T20I format and to request more authority as captain. A senior PCB official, speaking anonymously to Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net), revealed that Rizwan was frustrated with the selectors’ decision to drop him and Babar Azam for the five-match Twenty20 international series in New Zealand. The duo has requested a meeting with the PCB chief after the team management and selection committee decided to exclude them to experiment with younger players under new captain Salman Agha.

Sources close to Pakistan captain Rizwan also confirmed the news.

“Rizwan is due to meet the PCB chairman as soon as possible to seek clarity on his removal from the T20I side,” sources close to the Pakistan captain told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net).

Rizwan took over as white-ball skipper in October last year but was rested from the shorter format in Zimbabwe and given the responsibility for the T20I series against South Africa. “I can’t say anything about T20s; it’s not my job, just like here (in ODIs), I don’t have full control. We weren’t informed or consulted (about the T20I exclusion). It was their decision, and they made it, and we accepted it as we have done before.” Pakistan faced a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand.

Sources said Rizwan clashed with head coach Aaqib Javed over the selection of the playing eleven for the first two matches, advocating for five regular bowlers.

Pakistan played with four regular bowlers and relied on part-timers Salman Agha and Irfan Khan to complete the remaining overs. This decision backfired as the two part-timers conceded a combined 118 runs. “Rizwan will seek more authority in selecting the playing eleven, and if not granted full power, he may resign from ODI captaincy,” the source added.

Sources also indicated that the PCB has already approached several foreign coaches to replace interim head coach Aaqib Javed, while some former Pakistan players are also being considered for the role. Players will now focus on the Pakistan Super League until May 18, after which they host Bangladesh for five T20Is.

Rizwan hopes to gain clarity about his T20I exclusion and the extent of his authority as captain in white-ball cricket before the upcoming series.