Cricket

Mohammad Rizwan: Pakistan's New Limited-Overs CaptainPakistan's newly appointed limited-overs captain, Mohammad Rizwan, has revealed that he never actively sought the role. Rizwan took over from Babar Azam as Pakistan's white-ball captain following the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) latest leadership announcement. He will lead the team in the upcoming three-match ODI and T20I series against Australia."I never desired or asked for captaincy. If it's granted by Allah, one shouldn't refuse. I never sought captaincy," Rizwan said.He emphasized that his focus as captain will be on developing future leaders for the team. "Regarding the past, everyone had their opinions on this. Even when Saifee was captain, I offered him suggestions, and he did the same for me. Now that I've become captain, all the players will be captains for the team. My focus will be that when I leave cricket, there will be more captain material ready for the team," he added.Pakistan is coming off a 2-1 Test series win at home against England and is set to face Australia in an ODI series starting on November 4, followed by three T20Is. The ODIs will take place in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth, while the T20Is will be hosted in Brisbane, Sydney, and Hobart.Reflecting on his new role, Rizwan said, "One of my wishes is to see the Pakistan team in the same kind of atmosphere that we had a couple of years ago. We were all with each other at any stage, whether things were working for us or not. Because of that, a lot of things worked in our favor back then.""The same things are present now also. But the difference is that we have more young talent along with seniors, and we wish that we all as a team gel together. It's a bit difficult when the seniors are playing and when the young lot comes and takes time to understand things. I guess during the Australia series, we will regain the same momentum that we had earlier," he added.Rizwan's appointment as captain has been met with mixed reactions. Some believe that he is the right man for the job, while others question his leadership abilities. However, Rizwan is determined to prove his critics wrong and lead Pakistan to success in the upcoming series against Australia.

Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma has expressed uncertainty over the availability of fast bowler Mohammed Shami for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Shami has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup."It's difficult to make a call on him for the Australia series," Sharma said. "He had a setback and had swelling in his knees. That put him back a little bit and had to start again. He's at the NCA with doctors and physios. We don't want to bring undercooked Shami to Australia. We are keeping our fingers crossed."Shami's absence would be a significant blow to India's bowling attack. The 32-year-old is one of the most experienced and successful fast bowlers in the country, with 216 wickets in 61 Tests.He has not played since the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November 2023. He was included in the squad for India's two-Test tour of South Africa in December 2023, pending fitness approval. However, the BCCI medical team did not clear Shami for the tour, ruling him out of the matches.Shami's injury history is a concern for the Indian team. In 2015, he suffered a significant knee injury during the ODI World Cup in Australia. Nitin Patel, currently the head of the BCCI medical team, oversaw his recovery.The Indian team management will be hoping that Shami can recover in time for the Australia series. The first Test is scheduled to begin on February 9 in Nagpur.

England's white-ball squads for the upcoming home series against Australia have been announced, with several notable inclusions and omissions. Jacob Bethell, Josh Hull, and Dan Mousley have received their maiden call-ups, while Brydon Carse returns after a suspension.Bethell and Mousley, both Warwickshire all-rounders, have impressed in the T20 Blast and Hundred. Hull, Leicestershire's towering fast bowler, has been called up for all three formats in the past two days. They join the experienced Jos Buttler, who will captain the side under interim head coach Marcus Trescothick.Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, and Chris Jordan, who featured in the T20 World Cup, have been omitted. Mark Wood is also unavailable due to injury. John Turner, who toured the Caribbean last winter, has been included in both squads.Jordan Cox, a member of the Hundred-winning Oval Invincibles, could make his T20I debut. Saqib Mahmood, Player of the Match in the Hundred final, is back in contention after a two-year absence due to back injuries.Carse, who was suspended for betting breaches, will add depth to England's pace attack alongside Turner. The ODI series will mark the start of England's preparations for the 2023 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Five Test squad members, including Jofra Archer, have been included.Archer, who has not played an ODI since 2023, is set to make his return after recovering from an elbow injury. Joe Root has been rested, while Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed have been overlooked.