Former Pakistan cricketer names Rizwan as top choice for all-format captain

In an exclusive interview, Mudassar Nazar backs Mohammad Rizwan as the only viable choice for Pakistan's captaincy.

Former Pakistan cricketer Mudassar Nazar has voiced his support for wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as the ideal candidate to lead the national team following Babar Azam's resignation as captain.

His remarks come amid ongoing discussions regarding the future of Pakistan cricket and its leadership structure.

In a recent exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Nazar, a respected figure in the cricketing community, believes that Rizwan is the only viable option left to assume the white-ball captaincy.

"Right now, they don't have any choice left. They've tried everyone except Rizwan. They'll have to make Rizwan the captain. I don't think the inner circle and top management are very happy with Rizwan, but they’ll be forced to choose him. Otherwise, if they go for a younger player, it will turn into the same situation like with Babar Azam. It's better to make a senior player the captain and then groom someone under him," Nazar said.

Nazar also advocated for Rizwan to lead the team across all formats, stating, “In my opinion, it would be better for Pakistan to make Rizwan the captain for all three formats.” This perspective aligns with the notion of a unified leadership structure, which could streamline decision-making and strategic planning within the team.

Drawing comparisons with successful captains from around the world, Nazar highlighted the cases of MS Dhoni and Graeme Smith, who both assumed leadership roles at the age of 24.

“If you list 20 names in the world, even though cricket has been played for 200 years, these two names will appear in that list,” he said, emphasizing their mental strength and ability to handle the pressures of captaincy.

Nazar concluded by underscoring the negative impact of frequent captaincy changes on team dynamics, suggesting that such instability could lead to factions within the team.

“The recent poor performances of the Pakistan team have a lot to do with the rapid changes in captaincy. Young players were made captains and then removed, which leads to groupings in the team. This isn’t just Pakistan’s problem,” he asserted.

It is worth noting that Babar Azam has stepped down as captain of the Pakistan team twice within a year. He initially resigned from the white-ball captaincy during Zaka Ashraf's tenure as PCB chairman, but was then appointed as the skipper for the white-ball formats again under PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, just ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.