Shahid Afridi: “Mohammad Rizwan is available and he is our main wicketkeeper in both T20Is and ODIs”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former interim chief selector Shahid Afridi said Mohammad Rizwan should be the first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed in ODIs and T20Is.
This comes after Sarfaraz replaced Rizwan in the playing XI for the recent two-Test series against New Zealand.
The 35-year-old former captain was extremely impressive in his Test comeback as he amassed 335 runs, which included a century and three fifties, at an average of 83.75.
While it remains to be seen if he will keep hold of his spot in the Test side, either as the go-to wicketkeeper-batsman or a specialist middle order batsman, Afridi has backed the selection of Rizwan in limited overs cricket.
“Mohammad Rizwan is available and he is our main wicketkeeper in both T20Is and ODIs,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Sarfaraz and Rizwan were both in action in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL), where they captained the Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans respectively.
Sarfaraz scored 162 runs in eight games at an average of 27 and a strike-rate of 104.51, but his side wasn’t able to make the playoffs.
As for Rizwan, he finished as the highest run-scorer with 550 runs in 12 matches, which included a century and four fifties, at an average of 55 and a strike-rate of 142.85.
He led the Sultans into the PSL final once again, but his side came up agonisingly short of being crowned champions of PSL 8 as the Lahore Qalandars ended up winning by one run.
Rizwan has been rested for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which will be played from March 25 to 28 in Sharjah. Sarfaraz, meanwhile, was not selected.
Pakistan squad for T20I series against Afghanistan: Shadab Khan (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan
Reserve players: Abrar Ahmed, Haseebullah, Usama Mir