Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
Mohammad Rizwan refuses to sign central contract, wants PCB's clarification on T20I ouster: Report
Former Pakistan ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan refuses to sign central contract as he seeks explanation over his ouster from the T20I setup.
Mohammad Rizwan, who was recently sacked as the ODI captain, has refused to sign the central contract offered by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). According to a report in Samaa TV, the wicketkeeper-batter has sought clarification from the board regarding his continued absence from the T20I setup. Several other reports in Pakistani media stated that Rizwan has also put forward additional demands before signing on the dotted line. However, the exact demands have not been mentioned by any Pakistani publication.
The development comes days ahead of the beginning of the three-match ODI series between Pakistan and South Africa. Rizwan has been out of the T20I setup since March this year. Babar Azam had the same fate as Rizwan, but he was recently called into the squad for the series against the Proteas.
According to the reports, Rizwan is the only Pakistani player not to have signed the central contract. It is worth mentioning that Rizwan was recently replaced by Shaheen Shah Afridi as the ODI captain.
The PCB is yet to agree to Rizwan's demands, and if the current scenario is anything to go by, the stage is set for a logjam between the two parties.
Also Read: Mohammad Rizwan sacked as Pakistan captain because he refused to promote betting companies
Earlier, Rizwan was among the 30 shortlisted players for the new central contracts. Earlier this year, the PCB opted not to award any player with the Category A contract.
Both Rizwan and Babar Azam, who held Category A contracts last season, were demoted to Category B.
Rizwan sacked
Earlier this month, Rizwan was removed as the ODI captain after a meeting between the selection committee and white-ball coach Mike Hesson. The senior Pakistan batter was sacked despite the team winning the ODI series in Australia and South Africa.
Under Rizwan, Pakistan failed to make the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, and the team even lost the ODI series against the West Indies.
Overall, Rizwan led Pakistan in 20 ODIs, winning nine and losing 11. He maintained a winning percentage of 45 per cent. He had earlier replaced Babar Azam as the white-ball captain.
Earlier, a report in The Times of India claimed that Rizwan was removed as the ODI captain after he maintained a firm stance against promoting betting companies.
On the other hand, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif claimed that Rizwan was let go as the skipper following the latter's vocal support for Palestine.
