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Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has made a bold statement, suggesting that Mohammad Rizwan should be appointed as the team’s One-Day International (ODI) captain with immediate effect.
Ali’s comments come after Rizwan’s impressive performance as captain of the Markhors in the Champions One-Day Cup 2024. The Markhors defeated the Stallions by a comfortable margin of 126 runs in their recent match.
Basit Ali praised Rizwan’s captaincy skills, highlighting his ability to read the pitch and make astute tactical decisions. He even went so far as to suggest that Rizwan is a better captain than Babar Azam, the current ODI skipper.
“There is no better captain than Rizwan in Pakistan,” Ali said. “He read the pitch perfectly, and even Babar Azam can’t do that. I am not even talking about Shan Masood. If you don’t make Rizwan captain at this time, then it is a loss for Pakistan. This is the best time to promote him as skipper.”
Babar Azam has faced criticism for his leadership in recent times, particularly following Pakistan’s disappointing performances in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the ICC T20 World Cup. His batting form has also come under scrutiny.
In contrast, Rizwan has been in excellent form, both as a batsman and as a captain. His impressive performances in the ODI World Cup 2023 and the recent series against Bangladesh have further strengthened his case for the captaincy.
As the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) continues to evaluate the team’s performance and look for ways to improve, Rizwan’s name is increasingly being mentioned as a potential successor to Babar Azam as the ODI captain.
