Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding the captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan, taking a subtle dig at the wicketkeeper-batter’s recent leadership decisions.
Rizwan has been under fire ever since Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was announced, with critics pointing out the baffling decision to include just one specialist spinner.
The criticism intensified after Pakistan’s disastrous campaign, where they crashed out in the group stage following back-to-back losses against New Zealand and India.
With reports suggesting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering stripping Rizwan of the captaincy ahead of the upcoming white-ball tour of New Zealand, Mohammad Amir didn’t hold back when asked about Rizwan’s leadership.
“There was a time I admired him as a captain,” Amir said during an interview. “He had the experience of leading in domestic cricket and the PSL, even taking his team to the finals.”
However, Amir believes Rizwan’s captaincy has taken a sharp turn in recent months, and not for the better.
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“His decision-making has completely changed. I don’t know what happened because I wasn’t in the dressing room with him during this period, but his choices now seem weird,” Amir added.
Recalling Rizwan’s bold approach as a leader in the PSL and domestic circuit, Amir expressed his disappointment in how things have played out.
“It looked like he would bring positive changes. But within a few months, it felt like he had drifted away from that cricketing mindset,” he said.
One of Amir’s biggest concerns was Rizwan’s alleged lack of influence over team selections.
“If Rizwan says he had no authority over selections, that’s not entirely true,” Amir stated. “The same influence that helped him become captain could have been used to shape the squad, but he didn’t take that step. I don’t understand why.”
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