File image of Pakistan white ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.© X (Twitter)
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting feels that Pakistan’s newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan should get a “decent run” at the role to showcase his leadership skills in the formats. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Rizwan as captain of the white-ball teams last month after Babar Azam quit the role for the second time following the early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024. Rizwan’s first assignment as captain saw Pakistan lose against ODI World champions Australia in the series opener in Melbourne last week. However, Ponting warned Pakistan’s management against any impulsive decision regarding the leadership role.
“They’re continually changing leaders, (Shaheen) Afridi one day, Babar one day, Rizwan another day. Lots of changes going on around their white-ball stuff. You don’t like to see that instability, but I guess they’re trying to find something that works and they’re willing to make changes until they find something that works and they start getting the right outcomes,” Ponting said in the ICC Review.
Ponting added that the ongoing Australia tour would provide a good indication of Rizwan’s leadership skills. “He’s the sort of player that I love watching. Aggressive player that takes the game on, and wears his heart on his sleeve a little bit,” he said.
“I reckon you can see he gets quite emotional out on the field, out on the ground as well, which I think is a good thing. It tends to show that you really care about what you’re doing and what your team’s trying to achieve.
“So the proof will be in the pudding. I mean, we won’t know (until they) give him a decent run at it. They obviously feel he’s the right man for here and now. So I think in a few months time, or maybe in a few weeks time, even here in Australia with the one-dayers, the T20Is coming up, we might have a better idea in three or four weeks time,” Ponting added.
The second ODI between Australia and Pakistan will be played in Adelaide on Friday while the final match of the series will be held in Perth on Sunday. The two teams will then face each other in the three-match T20I series starting on November 14 in Brisbane.
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