• Source:JND
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Mohammad Rizwan was removed as Pakistan's ODI captain by the PCB, with senior pacer Shaheen Afridi taking over as the new skipper in the format. They have different captains for all three formats. The ODI captaincy change came as a huge surprise, considering the wicket-keeper batter had been in charge for just a year and Pakistan played relatively few one-day matches during that time.

While the team's poor performance in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year reportedly played a big part in his removal, other factors, particularly relating to religion, appear to have influenced the choice. Several reports have claimed that Rizwan's frequent inclusion of religious discussion during cricketing activities made some of his teammates uneasy.

The PCB confirmed on Monday that Shaheen Afridi will be leading the Men in Green in the three-match ODI series against South Africa in Faisalabad from November 4-8. The board stated that the decision was finalised at a meeting in Islamabad attended by national selectors, advisory board members, and white-ball head coach Mike Hesson. Shaheen has significant experience, having played 66 ODIs and 92 T20Is for Pakistan, alongside 32 Tests.

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Rizwan captained Pakistan in 20 ODIs, recording nine wins and 11 losses. This period included the disappointing run in the ICC Champions Trophy and subsequent series defeats in New Zealand and the West Indies.

While PCB is yet to provide an official reason for the captaincy switch, internal sources believe Hesson's recommendation acted as the "springboard" for the change.

There are also huge rumours around that some individuals within the cricket board were concerned about Rizwan's increasing tendency to involve religion in dressing-room discussions, which caused discomfort among some players. Notably, Rizwan has always been open about expressing his faith during matches and in media interactions. Pakistan's star batter Imam ul Haq had revealed that Rizwan arranged special sermons in team hotels and urged players to pray five times a day.

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According to a report on The Times of India, Rizwan’s refusal to endorse betting companies is being seen as one of the reasons behind his removal from leadership.

"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 in the report as saying.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif believes that it was Rizwan's continuous support for the pro-Palestine movement and expressing solidarity with Gaza, might have cost him ODI captaincy. "There’s a rumour that Rizwan is no longer the captain. Just because he raised the Palestinian flag, will you remove him as captain? There’s this mindset that in an Islamic country, there will be a non-Islamic captain," former wicketkeeper Latif said on his YouTube channel.

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