Shaheen rejects uncertainty around Rizwan's future after Australia ODIs snub

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi on Friday firmly rejected the notion of wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan's exclusion from the upcoming home ODI series against Australia signalled at the end of his international career.

Shaheen, who replaced Rizwan as the ODI captain after Pakistan's 2-1 series defeat against West Indies in August 2025, stressed that the wicketkeeper batter's international career was far from over as he cited his and another experienced cricketer, Babar Azam's return to the national team after brief periods on the sidelines.

"Just because Mohammad Rizwan is not part of this series does not mean his career is over. I was dropped once and came back. Babar was also out of the side and has returned," Shaheen told reporters at the pre-series press conference here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium earlier today.

The skipper clarified that the move was instead aimed at giving youngsters like Rohail Nazir and Muhammad Ghazi Ghouri opportunities to prove their mettle while the team could explore options ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, set to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

"You have to give opportunities to other players as well. Rohail and Ghazi are both talented cricketers, and if you want to prepare properly for a World Cup, then different players need to be tested," Shaheen stated.

"No player's career can be finished by you or by me. If someone is working hard and performing, then Allah will reward him with more opportunities."

Former captain Rizwan, who led Pakistan to consecutive ODI series triumphs away over Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, respectively, after starting his captaincy tenure in late 2024, could not retain his spot in the format as a player following a lacklustre away assignment against Bangladesh, during which he could muster 54 runs at a dismal average of 19.33.

The 33-year-old was replaced by fellow wicketkeeper batter Rohail in the Green Shirts' squad for the three-match home series against Australia, slated to run from May 30 to June 4, while Ghouri retained his spot after making his debut away against Bangladesh in March.

The development had come just hours after reports had claimed that Hesson was not in favour of Rizwan's inclusion in the ODI set-up following T20 format decisions, signalling a possible shift in Pakistan's white-ball direction, adding that he was also not being considered for the World Cup 2027.

Rizwan's exclusion from the ODIs, in which he has accumulated 2979 runs in 94 innings at a healthy average of 40.80, has been a point of debate among cricket fans, some of whom accused Hesson of injustice against the wicketkeeper batter.