Mohammad Rizwan named Pakistan's T20I vice-captain

Pakistan have named Mohammad Rizwan as vice-captain of the T20I side ahead of the five-match series in New Zealand, starting from Friday (January 12) in Auckland. 

The wicketkeeper-batter takes over the role from Shadab Khan, who is still recovering from his ankle injury.

Rizwan will now work with Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was named Pakistan’s T20I captain after Babar Azam resigned from captaincy in all three formats. 

Rizwan has never captained Pakistan in white-ball cricket but has led the team in a couple of Tests against the Black Caps in 2020-21.

The 31-year-old has been leading Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League since 2021. Under him, the franchise won the title in 2021 and also qualified for the final in 2022 and 2023. 

Rizwan has an outstanding record in T20Is, amassing 2797 runs in 73 innings at an average of 49.07 and a strike rate of 127.30

"It is an honour to be named as the vice-captain of Pakistan Men's T20I side. I am thankful to the PCB for entrusting me with this responsibility,” said Rizwan.

“I am looking forward to working closely with the captain, coaching staff, and my team-mates to contribute to the team's success."