Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the new vice-captain of the T20I team. Wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has aligned as the deputy to pacer Shaheen Afridi ahead of the all-important T20I series against New Zealand.
Mohammad Rizwan will be taking over the role from Shadab Khan, who has been sacked as the vice-captain of the team. The leg-spinner since the last few months has been going through a torrid run of form and also his place in the team is also under jeopardy.
The new chapter in Pakistan cricket started after the ICC World Cup 2023. Their entire coaching staff was sacked and also skipper Babar Azam resigned as the captain of the team. Shaheen Afridi was then appointed as the skipper of the team in T20Is whereas Shan Masood was given the opportunity to lead in Tests.
Shaheen Afridi’s first assignment as the captain will begin with the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The first game will be played on 12th January followed by the second and third matches to be played on 14th and 17th January. The last two games of the series will be played on 19th and 21st January.
Also read: Pakistan National Cricket Team T20 World Cup 2024 schedule, date, venue, time and latest updates
The series against New Zealand will mark Pakistan’s preparations for the T20 World Cup 2024. The new skipper Shaheen Afridi along with vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan would be hoping to change the fortunes of the team and build a strong core in the team for the tournament.
Both Shaheen and Rizwan will be carrying a huge baggage of expectations with them. Also, they would be under pressure to take the team to glory because of how things panned out under the last management. It remains to be seen how they will perform as leaders in the team.
PAK vs AUS: Pakistan Squad for the New Zealand T20Is
Here’s Pakistan Squad for the New Zealand T20Is
Shaheen Afridi (c), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan.