Rizwan’s elevation to the vice-captaincy comes amid recent comments from Shahid Afridi.
Muhammad Rizwan appointed Vice-Captain of Pakistan’s T20 Team”. In a strategic move, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named wicket-keeper and batter Muhammad Rizwan as the vice-captain of the national T20 team, according to an announcement made on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
The PCB shared the news, stating, “@iMRizwanPak has been appointed vice-captain of Pakistan’s T20I team.” This development sees Rizwan stepping into the role, replacing Shadab Khan as the deputy to captain Shaheen Shah Afridi in the T20 squad.
It is noteworthy that Rizwan’s elevation to the vice-captaincy comes amid recent comments from former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi. At an event in Australia, Afridi publicly praised Rizwan’s hard work, focus, and fighting spirit, expressing his admiration for the wicketkeeper-batter. Afridi even went on to suggest Rizwan as a candidate for the T20 captaincy, preferring him over his son-in-law Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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Speaking at the event, Afridi remarked, “[I admire Rizwan’s] hard work and focus level. His best quality, which I like most, is only focusing on his game and paying no heed to who is doing what and what not. He is really a fighter! I want to see him [Rizwan] as the T20 captain, but mistakenly, Shaheen became the skipper.”
Despite the lighthearted comment about Shaheen Shah Afridi’s accidental captaincy, the appointment of Muhammad Rizwan as the vice-captain adds a new dynamic to the team’s leadership structure. Rizwan’s proven skills and Afridi’s endorsement indicate a positive turn for Pakistan’s T20 squad as they prepare for upcoming challenges in the shortest format of the game.