PAK vs NZ: Mohammad Rizwan To Play As A Specialist Batter As Wahab Riaz Confirms This Player As Wicketkeeper For Pakistan

Published - 08 Jan 2024, 02:59 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 10:21 AM

Mohammad Rizwan to play as specialist batter (credits:X)

Pakistan will be facing New Zealand in a five-match T20I series, the squad for the same was announced in December itself with many new players in the squad. Chief Selector Wahab Riaz has confirmed that Azam Khan will be the wicketkeeper against the Blackcaps. Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan will be sidelined as the wicketkeeper but Wahab Riaz has said that he can play as a specialist batter in the team.

Azam Khan has played five T20Is for Pakistan and so far his numbers are not very promising as he could only manage seven runs in four innings. However, the selection committee is backing him as the wicketkeeper as he has a terrific record in T20 cricket excluding the international matches.

He has scored 2776 runs in 128 innings at an average of 2523 and a strike rate of 144.88. He made his debut for Pakistan in 2021 against England but has failed to make his mark in the national side.

Mohammad Rizwan has been Pakistan’s T20I opener with Babar Azam since the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, the strike rate of Rizwan and Babar are always in question which has led to PCB making such harsh decisions. Both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will not be opening the innings for Pakistan in the upcoming series against New Zealand.

Wahab Riaz, who replaced Inzamam-ul-Haq as the chief selector of the Pakistan national cricket team made it very clear that he is going to promote young talents, especially in the T20I format.

As a result, the Pakistan squad for the T20I series against the Blackcaps has a lot of players who are very new to the national team or haven’t even received their debut cap. The T20I series between the Men in Green and the Blackcaps is scheduled to start on January 12 in Auckland.

Mohammad Rizwan Has A Good Record In T20Is And Was Hugely Supported By Mohammad Hafeez

Azam Khan to play as wicket-keeper against ??

Chief Selector Wahab Riaz makes it clear that Rizwan can play as a batter too✌️??#PAKvsNZ #NZvsPAK #PakPassion #AzamKhan #MohammadRizwan pic.twitter.com/uDTbHGwPeS

— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) January 7, 2024

According to reports, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam were recommended by Mohammad Hafeez to be put in the squad against New Zealand. Rizwan and Babar made a call to Wahab Riaz regarding the media reports which suggested that both the experienced campaigners are being rested for the T20I series against New Zealand. Wahab Riaz assured them that they would be considered before any such plans are made.

Mohammad Rizwan has played 85 T20Is for Pakistan and has scored 2797 runs in 73 innings at a massive average of 49.07. He has a strike rate of 127.31 which is considered decent in the format. Rizwan has smashed 25 half-centuries and a century in the shortest format of the game. He will be batting at No.4 or No.5 in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will not be opening the batting for Pakistan and Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman are likely to replace them as openers. It will be interesting to see whether Rizwan and Babar play all five matches in the series or if the management decides to rest their star players for a few matches to give opportunities to young talent.

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Azam Khan Babar Azam Mohammad Rizwan PAK vs NZ 2024 Pakistan National Cricket Team Wahab Riaz