Former Pakistan ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan has refused to sign the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contract, citing the need for clarification over his exclusion from the national T20I squad, sources reported.
While all other national players have signed their contracts, Rizwan, who was included in Category B alongside ten other players, has yet to finalize his agreement with the board.
Rizwan has reportedly placed conditions before the PCB, requesting a formal explanation for his omission from the T20I squad. Sources indicate that the PCB has not accepted his demands, and at present, there seems little chance of the board accommodating his requests. His stance contrasts with other contracted players, highlighting ongoing tensions between the former wicket-keeper batter and the cricket board.
The T20I series against South Africa began yesterday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the subsequent matches scheduled at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on 31 October and 1 November.
These fixtures will be followed by three ODIs at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium on 4, 6, and 8 November. Earlier, the two sides drew their Test series 1-1 as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27, with Pakistan winning the first Test by 93 runs and South Africa claiming the second by eight wickets.
Historically, Pakistan and South Africa have faced off 24 times in T20Is, winning 12 matches each, while Pakistan has won twice in three encounters on home soil.
Key players in the current squad include Babar Azam, who needs eight runs to become the leading T20I run-scorer globally, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has claimed 13 wickets against South Africa in 12 matches.
Salman Ali Agha, captain of the T20I squad, expressed optimism, stating the team combines experienced players with new talent and aims to execute long-term plans successfully.
In the first T20I, Pakistan will wear pink-themed kits to support the PCB’s breast cancer awareness initiative with Pink Ribbon Pakistan. Fans can watch the series live on A Sports, Ten Sports, Tapmad, Tamasha, and international broadcasters including Willow TV, SuperSport, Dialog TV, T Sports, and Cricbuzz.
The 15-member T20I squad includes Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, and Saim Ayub.
