Mohammad Rizwan has reportedly refused to sign the Pakistan Cricket Board’s central contract and has asked the board to explain his exclusion from the T20I squad.
Mohammad Rizwan has declined to sign the Pakistan Cricket Board’s central contract, seeking clarification on his exclusion from the national T20I squad. Reports from Samaa TV suggest the wicketkeeper-batter has also placed additional conditions before agreeing to the deal, though details remain undisclosed.
The development comes ahead of Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against South Africa, starting later this week. Rizwan, out of the T20I setup since December, was replaced by Shaheen Shah Afridi as ODI captain without any official explanation. The decision reportedly followed a meeting in Islamabad involving the selection committee and head coach Mike Hesson. Rizwan remains the only contracted player yet to sign.
Earlier, the PCB had stopped short of confirming his position ahead of the South Africa series. Instead, the board announced that head coach Mike Hesson had asked chairman Mohsin Naqvi to consult the selection and advisory committees to appoint a new leader.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the move to replace Rizwan had wider support within the PCB’s top management and was not solely Hesson’s decision. Earlier, Rizwan was included among 30 players shortlisted for Pakistan’s new central contracts, though the PCB chose not to offer any Category A contracts this year.
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