Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan recently discussed the absence of experienced pacer Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Imad Wasim from the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Australia, which starts tomorrow.
Amir and Wasim came out of international retirement earlier this year and made themselves available for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which was played in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) in June.
Wasim managed three wickets in three games at an average of 14.66 and scored a meagre 19 runs in two outings. Meanwhile, Amir was Pakistan’s best bowler in the tournament, taking seven wickets in four matches at an impressive average of 10.28.
However, their presence did not help as Pakistan crashed out of the tournament from the group stage, mainly due to their gut-wrenching defeats against the United States of America (USA) and arch-rivals India.
Since the T20 World Cup, Pakistan cricket has undergone many changes, including Mohammad Rizwan replacing Babar Azam as the white-ball captain.
In his first assignment as captain, Rizwan successfully guided his team to a historic victory, breaking a 22-year drought by securing an ODI series win in Australia.
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During a media talk before the first T20I in Brisbane, Rizwan was asked about the changes in the squad since the T20 World Cup, especially the exclusion of key players such as Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Fakhar Zaman.
The wicket-keeper acknowledged the services of the aforementioned players and stated that it would not be easy for the youngsters to fill in their shoes.
“The names you’ve mentioned [Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Fakhar Zaman] are big names. It’s not easy to fill the gap they have left. You can’t replace them overnight; it will take some time,” he said.
“All four have contributed a lot to the team, and it’s hard to say how long it will take to fill their roles in the Pakistan lineup fully. Hopefully, with time, especially in T20s, we’ll find the right balance.”
However, he mentioned that he and his team is currently focusing on the upcoming series and aiming to win that in the first place.
“But right now, our focus is on the current series and how we can field the best XI. We’re working on it and have something in mind for that,” he concluded.
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