Star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has refused to sign the Pakistan Cricket Board’s central contract and has asked for the board’s clarification on his ouster from the T20I side, according to a report in Samaa TV.
As per the report, Rizwan has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to clarify the reasons behind his continued exclusion from the T20I setup. Multiple other Pakistani media outlets have reported that he has made additional demands before agreeing to sign the contract as well, though none have disclosed the specifics of those demands.
The development comes just days before the start of the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and South Africa. Rizwan has been out of the T20I setup since December. Star batter Babar Azam faced a similar
situation but was recalled to the team for the series against the Proteas.
As per reports, Rizwan remains the only Pakistani player yet to sign the central contract. He was replaced by Shaheen Shah Afridi as Pakistan’s ODI skipper.
No reason was given for Rizwan’s replacement and he wasn’t mentioned in the official statement. As per the PCB, the decision was made after a meeting in Islamabad between the selection committee and white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.
Rizwan’s removal appeared inevitable after the PCB issued a statement refusing to confirm him as ODI skipper ahead of the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour. Instead, the Pakistan Cricket Board revealed that Hesson had requested chairman Mohsin Naqvi to hold a meeting with the selection and advisory committees to appoint a new skipper.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the desire to replace Rizwan wasn’t at the behest of Hesson, but enjoyed wider backing at the highest level of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision-making process.
Earlier, Rizwan was among the 30 cricketers shortlisted for Pakistan’s new central contracts. Earlier this year, however, the PCB decided not to offer a Category A contract to any cricketer.
