Pakistan removed Mohammad Rizwan as T20I captain and appointed Salman Ali Agha as his replacement for the upcoming series against New Zealand.
Mohammad Rizwan has been removed as Pakistan’s T20I captain, just five months after taking charge. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the decision on March 4, naming Salman Ali Agha as the new T20I captain. Salman, who previously served as Rizwan’s deputy, will lead the team in the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Shadab Khan, who was not part of the Champions Trophy 2025 squad, has been appointed vice-captain for the shortest format. Despite losing the T20I captaincy, Rizwan will continue leading Pakistan in ODIs, with Salman as his deputy for the upcoming three-match 50-over series.
The PCB stated that Salman and Shadab’s appointments align with long-term plans for the 2025 Asia Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
“The decision to appoint Salman and Shadab as T20I captain and vice-captain, respectively, has been made with an eye on two major upcoming tournaments—the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (September 2025) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (February/March 2026). Salman previously led Pakistan in a T20I series against Zimbabwe last year, winning 2-1,” PCB said.
“Mohammad Rizwan will continue leading the ODI side as Pakistan builds towards the ICC Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup 2027, which will take place in Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in October/November 2027,” the release added.
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Salman previously led Pakistan in a T20I series against Zimbabwe, securing a 2-1 win. Meanwhile, Pakistan is also building towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be hosted by Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Dropped from T20I Squad
Notably, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have also been left out of Pakistan’s T20I squad for the New Zealand tour. The squad features three uncapped players—Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz, and Mohammad Ali—while Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali have earned their first ODI call-ups.
Meanwhile, former pacer Aqib Javed will continue as Pakistan’s interim head coach for the New Zealand series. His tenure, initially set to end after the Champions Trophy, has been extended while the Pakistan Cricket Board searches for a permanent head coach.
Pakistan’s Squads for New Zealand Tour
T20I squad – Salman Ali Agha (C), Shadab Khan (VC), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan
ODI squad – Mohammad Rizwan (C), Salman Ali Agha (VC), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim and Tayyab Tahir.
