Mohammad Rizwan’s exclusion from Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia national cricket team has become one of the biggest talking points in Pakistan cricket.
Despite being one of Pakistan’s most experienced white-ball batters with 2,979 runs in 103 ODIs, Rizwan was left out of the 16-member squad announced for the three-match home series against the reigning world champions.
The decision came shortly after Rizwan managed only 54 runs across three ODIs against Bangladesh, prompting questions over his future in the format.
Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson addressed the omission and said the management felt changes were necessary following the team’s disappointing ODI performances over the past year.
“There is confidence in our white-ball team. We have made real progress over the last 12 months. When I arrived, Mohammad Rizwan was not part of the T20 squad, and he was certainly not the captain, so he has not been playing T20 cricket since I have been involved,” Hesson said.
Hesson also explained that Rizwan’s removal as ODI captain after the West Indies tour was part of a broader attempt to rebuild the side.
“In terms of ODIs, Rizwan started as captain in the West Indies series, but we felt a change was needed at the end of that tour after winning only two matches in the past year. The team had not performed, and we assess both individual numbers and overall team performance when making decisions,” he added.
“You look at two things: individual numbers and how you can maximise the team’s performance. So, we felt we wanted to make a change from the captaincy’s point of view.”
Pakistan have instead opted to inject fresh energy into the squad, handing opportunities to uncapped players Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas and Rohail Nazir. The squad also sees the return of key names such as Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Sufyan Moqim after they missed the Bangladesh ODI series.
Hesson admitted Pakistan still have multiple areas to improve in the 50-over format, particularly with the new ball.
“In ODI cricket, we have multiple areas to work on. One key concern is our powerplay bowling and taking wickets early, which has been an area of weakness over the past 12 months. We are working to improve both the type of bowlers we use and our overall approach,” Hesson said.
