Rizwan Sacking: Not Religious Activities, No. 1 Reason Behind Captaincy Out

In a shocking decision late on Monday (October 20), Mohammad Rizwan was sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the national team's ODI captain. The PCB handed over the reins to left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, raising eyebrows. Some reports have suggested that white-ball head coach Mike Hesson pushed for the change despite having worked with Rizwan for just one series.

Reports also claim that the decision to replace Rizwan was influenced not only by Hesson but also by members of the selection committee, including Aaqib Javed, who is the director of the high-performance centre, and two former captains, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Misbah-ul-Haq, who serve on the advisory board to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

While the PCB has not cited any official reason for the switch, insiders believe Hesson's recommendation served as a "springboard" for the change.

According to a report by news agency PTI: "There are also rumours that some people in the cricket board were a bit anxious over Rizwan's growing tendency to involve religion in cricket discussions in the dressing room, which left some players uncomfortable.

"Rizwan has had no qualms about openly expressing his faith, even during cricket matches or in media interactions. According to Pakistan batsman Imam-ul-Haq, he arranged special sermons in team hotels and also urged players to pray five times a day."

A report in the Times of India tells a different story: "Rizwan had informed the PCB that he wouldn't endorse betting companies, which is the main reason behind his sacking. He was against the PCB's collaboration with surrogate betting firms," a PCB source was quoted as saying.

Rizwan captained Pakistan in 20 ODIs, winning nine and losing 11, a record that included a poor run in the ICC Champions Trophy and subsequent series defeats in New Zealand and the West Indies.

With PTI inputs

Trending News