Was Mohammad Rizwan sacked as Pakistan ODI captain because of ‘RELIGIOUS’ reason?

In a surprising move, senior Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan was sacked as the ODI captain, with pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi set to take over the role starting next month.

 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Afridi will lead Pakistan during the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, from November 4 to 8. The 25-year-old has played 66 ODIs, 92 T20Is, and 32 Tests for Pakistan.

 

The decision was made during a meeting in Islamabad, involving national selectors, advisory board members, and white-ball head coach Mike Hesson – reports suggest that the coach played a key role in this change of leadership.

 

What’s surprising is that Hesson was appointed the white-ball head coach in late May, shortly after the Pakistan Super League. He has worked with Rizwan in just one ODI series so far – a three-match tour of the West Indies.

 

How did Mohammad Rizwan do as captain?

 

Cricket analyst Omair Alavi was among those who were caught unawares by PCB’s decision. "It is strange that Hesson formed an opinion about Rizwan's captaincy after just one series," PTI quoted him as saying. He also highlighted Rizwan's 45 per cent success rate and pointed out his ODI series victories in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

 

As captain, Rizwan, 33, led Pakistan in 20 ODIs, winning nine and losing 11. His captaincy tenure included a challenging period in the ICC Champions Trophy and subsequent series losses in New Zealand and the West Indies.

 

Why was Mohammad Rizwan sacked as captain?

 

The PCB has not provided an official reason for Rizwan’s sacking as captain, but as per the PTI report, some Board officials and players were uncomfortable with his increasing tendency to bring religion into dressing room discussions. Rizwan has openly expressed his faith during matches and media interactions.

 

Pakistan batsman Imam ul Haq said that Rizwan organised special sermons for the team in hotels and encouraged players to pray five times a day, drawing comparisons to former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq's captaincy tenure between 2004 and 2007, when his focus on religion, reportedly, caused discomfort for the then-chairman, the late Shaharyar Khan. Out-of-favour Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad, too, had publicly criticised Rizwan for allegedly using religion to justify poor team performances.

 

Reports also indicate that members of the selection committee, including Aaqib Javed, director of the high-performance centre, and two former skippers Sarfaraz Ahmed and Misbah-ul-Haq, who are part of the advisory board for PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, too were in favour of Rizwan’s removal.

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