Mohammad Rizwan wrangled with Aqib Javed over the personnel selection on the New Zealand tour.
There’s never a shortage of controversies and drama in Pakistan Cricket, and it has surged massively since Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan were omitted from the T20I side. Their tepid batting approach, which led to numerous defeats for Pakistan, was too glaring to ignore, and selectors opted for fresh guns who could bat briskly.
However, the move didn’t please the senior duo, and they were left frustrated with the treatment by the PCB. According to a report by Telecom Asia Sport, Babar and Rizwan will meet the chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, in the next few days to get clarification on their selection in the T20I format.
Further, the same report added that Rizwan has asked for more power in the team selection as a captain in the ODI format. He has threatened to step down as ODI captain unless he is accorded greater autonomy.
“Rizwan will seek more power in the selection of eleven in the match and there is a possibility that if not given full powers then he might resign from ODI captaincy,” senior PCB sources told Telecom Asia Sport.
The report also revealed that Mohammad Rizwan wrangled with Aqib Javed, Pakistan’s head coach, over the personnel selection on the New Zealand tour. Rizwan wanted to play five specialist bowlers in the XI, but Javed suggested four regulars, with Salman Agha and Irfan Khan to complete the remaining ten overs.
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Unfortunately, the move didn’t work for Pakistan, as the part-timers conceded plenty to let New Zealand lead in the game. That was the key reason behind the argument between the captain and the coach, which might lead to a change in the coaching department.
PCB have told Aqib that a few foreign coaches are in talks and will replace him as a white-ball coach. Aqib took over the reins in November last year, but Pakistan’s performances didn’t improve drastically.
They failed to win any game in the Champions Trophy 2025 and had a forgettable New Zealand tour, winning only one out of eight matches across white-ball formats. Several foreign coaches have previously come into the setup, but their tenure ended abruptly, so it will be interesting to see whether a new coach can last in this team.
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