Former captain thinks Rizwan’s age “only criticism” for his captaincy

Legendary Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Moin Khan termed Mohammad Rizwan’s age only obstacle for him to become the all-format Pakistan captain, stating he would be a short-term option.

In an interview with a cricket news platform, Moin said Pakistan can appoint an all-format captain but should be given ample tenure to lead the national team.

Moin Khan acknowledged Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership skills but claimed the 32-year-old to be a short-term option. He instead called for grooming a youngster for the national team’s leadership.

“A single captain can be appointed for all formats of cricket, but it’s crucial for any player to perform across all formats to achieve this. Whoever becomes captain should have the responsibility for a long term. There is no doubt about Mohammad Rizwan’s abilities; any criticism against him might be due to his age,” said Moin Khan.

“It’s also important to consider how long he can represent the team if given leadership. Mohammad Rizwan could be a great short-term captain, but you would need to groom a young cricketer to take over in the future. We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy,” he added.

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Moin Khan then backed ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as the ideal candidate for Pakistan captaincy.

“Shaheen Afridi has the ability to lead the team and is highly liked by the players. He is an excellent choice for captaincy in T20s,” Moin stated.

“In white-ball cricket, I don’t see anyone else suitable for the role. Removing him from the captaincy was unjust. He is one of the best T20 players, and I’ve noticed his performance has slightly declined since he was removed from the captaincy. How can you expect good performance if you don’t give players confidence? They should be given some time as captain,” he added.

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