Mohammad Rizwan: “The names you’ve mentioned (Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Fakhar Zaman) are big names. It’s not easy to fill the gap they have left. You can’t replace them overnight; it will take some time”
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Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan has hinted that left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir, spinner Imad Wasim, and the batting duo of Fakhar Zaman and Iftikhar Ahmed don’t have a future in T20Is.
He noted that it won’t be easy to replace the quartet, acknowledging that it will “take some time”.
Rizwan praised all four players for their contributions to Pakistan cricket and hopes to find “the right balance” in the T20I team soon.
“The names you’ve mentioned (Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Fakhar Zaman) are big names. It’s not easy to fill the gap they have left. You can’t replace them overnight; it will take some time,” he was quoted as saying by A Sports.
“All four have contributed a lot to the team, and it’s hard to say how long it will take to fill their roles in the Pakistan line-up fully. Hopefully, with time, especially in T20s, we’ll find the right balance.”
Pakistan recently toured Australia for a limited overs series and began by winning the ODI leg 2-1, which saw them win their first ODI series in the country since 2002.
As for the three-match T20I series that followed, the men in green were whitewashed 3-0.
Pakistan then went to Zimbabwe and triumphed 2-1 in both the ODI and T20I series.
Next up for them will be a tour of South Africa, which will comprise three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.
The T20I series will begin on December 10, while the ODI and Test series will start on December 17 and December 26 respectively.
Pakistan Squad for South Africa T20I Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha
[TS_Poll id=”37″]
Rizwan must be asleep when he made the comment of “excluding Fakhar Zaman” from T20 or ODI teams. He should wake up and don’t try to destroy Pak Team.