Mohammad Rizwan Captaincy: Pakistan’s White-Ball Era (2024–2025)
For a year, Mohammad Rizwan was the face of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket — named captain in both ODIs and T20Is in October 2024, then replaced in stages through 2025. This is the story of the Rizwan captaincy: how it began, what it achieved, and why it ended with Shaheen Afridi taking the ODIs and Salman Ali Agha the T20Is.
Quick answer: Mohammad Rizwan captained Pakistan in ODIs and T20Is from October 2024. He lost the T20I role to Salman Ali Agha in March 2025 and the ODI role to Shaheen Shah Afridi in November 2025. His tenure included a notable ODI series win in Australia — but four straight defeats as T20I captain on the 2024 southern Africa tour hastened the change.
The appointment: October 2024
Rizwan’s appointment in October 2024 ended the post-Babar vacuum: after Babar Azam’s second departure from the captaincy, the PCB handed both white-ball formats to its most consistent performer. Rizwan — the wicketkeeper-batter whose work ethic is legendary in the dressing room — was a popular choice. He had been Babar’s deputy and the team’s emotional engine for years; the captaincy felt like a natural coronation.
The highs
The standout achievement of Rizwan’s tenure was the ODI series victory in Australia — Pakistan winning a bilateral ODI series on Australian soil, a rare feat for any visiting side. It showcased Rizwan’s strengths as a leader: meticulous preparation, fearless selection calls, and a team that fought for every run. In home conditions Pakistan were competitive throughout his tenure, and his personal batting remained world-class.
The lows
The beginning of the end came on the southern Africa tour in late 2024: Rizwan lost all four matches as T20I captain, and Salman Ali Agha — who had stood in during the Zimbabwe leg — was handed the T20I role permanently in March 2025. Rizwan kept the ODIs for another eight months, but by November 2025 the PCB moved there too, installing Shaheen Afridi. The pattern was familiar in Pakistan cricket: a captain judged less on his best days than his worst tours.
The handover
Rizwan’s exit was handled with unusual grace by PCB standards — no public fallout, and he remains a central player in both white-ball squads. His era lasted barely a year, but it bridged two transitions: from the Babar years to the Agha/Shaheen present, and now to the Farhan era in T20Is. For the current leadership in each format, see Pakistan’s 2026 captains.
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Rizwan captaincy: FAQs
When was Mohammad Rizwan Pakistan captain?
October 2024 to 2025 — ODIs and T20Is initially, then ODIs only after Salman Ali Agha took the T20Is in March 2025.
Why did Rizwan lose the captaincy?
Poor T20I results on the late-2024 southern Africa tour (four defeats) cost him the T20I role; the PCB then handed the ODIs to Shaheen Afridi in November 2025 as part of its leadership reset.
What was Rizwan’s biggest win as captain?
The ODI series victory in Australia — a rare bilateral series win on Australian soil.
Is Mohammad Rizwan still in the Pakistan team?
Yes — he remains a key white-ball player and senior figure in the dressing room under the new captains.
