Pakistan have announced their squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia at home. While a few new players have been included, the biggest talking point is the exclusion of experienced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan.
Rizwan, who has scored 2,979 runs in 103 ODIs, has been left out of the ODI squad. This comes after he managed only 54 runs across three matches against Bangladesh in the recent series.
Why Mohammad Rizwan excluded from Pakistan ODI squad?
Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson explained the decision, saying the team is focused on improving overall performance and building a more balanced side.
“There is confidence in our white-ball team. We have made real progress over the last 12 months. When I arrived, Mohammad Rizwan was not part of the T20 squad, and he was certainly not the captain, so he has not been playing T20 cricket since I have been involved," Hesson said.
Why did Rizwan lose ODI captaincy?
Rizwan had earlier lost the ODI captaincy to Shaheen Afridi after a run of poor results. Hesson said the change was made after reviewing both individual and team performances.
“In terms of ODIs, Rizwan started as captain in the West Indies series, but we felt a change was needed at the end of that tour after winning only two matches in the past year. The team had not performed, and we assess both individual numbers and overall team performance when making decisions," he said.
“You look at two things: you look at individual numbers, and you look at how you can maximise the team’s performance. So, we felt we wanted to make a change from the captaincy’s point of view," he added.
Pakistan on adding uncapped stars in ODI squad
Pakistan have also named three uncapped players in their 16-member squad — Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, and Rohail Nazir. Senior players like Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Sufyan Moqim have also returned after missing the Bangladesh series.
ALSO READ: PAK vs AUS: Mitchell Marsh Ruled Out Of ODI Series Against Pakistan, LSG Star Set To Lead Australia
“We need to explore all available options from a team perspective, and that was the decision of the selection panel. We have had several series together and identified areas for improvement, as we do with every player," Hesson said.
“In ODI cricket, we have multiple areas to work on. One key concern is our powerplay bowling and taking wickets early, which has been an area of weakness over the past 12 months. We are working to improve both the type of bowlers we use and our overall approach," he added.