Rashid Latif: “Retaining Rizwan as vice-captain is not justifiable”
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Rashid Latif, the former wicketkeeper-batsman, feels it is “not justifiable” for Pakistan to retain Mohammad Rizwan as vice-captain in Test cricket.
He noted that Rizwan has lost his place in the playing XI to Sarfaraz Ahmed and therefore shouldn’t continue being the second-in-command to captain Babar Azam.
It should be noted that former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed is the cricketer who has overtaken Rizwan as the go-to wicketkeeper-batsman for Pakistan in Tests.
“Retaining Rizwan as vice-captain is not justifiable,” Latif said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Sarfaraz did play in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka and scored 32 runs at an average of 16. However, he was replaced by Rizwan midway through the second Test in Colombo after being struck on the helmet.
The 36-year-old wasn’t picked for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan or the ongoing Asia Cup, where Pakistan beat Nepal by 238 runs, shared one point apiece with India after their match was rained off, and defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets.
In their most recent game against India, the men in green lost by 228 runs.
Next up for Pakistan will be a clash against Sri Lanka on September 14 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 Asia Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zaman Khan.
Travelling reserve: Tayyab Tahir