Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson opened up about the exclusion of Mohammad Rizwan from the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia. The head coach also spoke about the wicketkeeper batter’s removal from the national cricket team captaincy in the 50-over format in October last year.
Pakistan recently announced a 16-man squad led by Shaheen Afridi for the three-match ODI series against Australia. The series will begin on 30 May at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the final match on June 4. Hesson spoke to reporters during a media interaction at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.
We Wanted to Make a Change – Mike Hesson on Mohammad Rizwan’s Exclusion
Mike Hesson stated that Mohammad Rizwan’s exclusion was not for personal reasons. The Pakistan head coach said that the management wanted to improve team results after a disappointing run in ODI cricket and therefore decided to make leadership changes.
“By the time I arrived, Rizwan was not in the T20I squad; he certainly was not the captain. So, he has not been playing T20 cricket since I’ve been involved,” Hesson told reporters.
“In terms of ODIs, yes, Mohammad Rizwan started as the captain in the West Indies, and we felt we needed a change at the end of that series because we had won two games in 12 months. So, the team had not performed.”
“Sure, you look at two things: you look at individual numbers, and you look at how you can maximise the team’s performance. So, we felt we wanted to make a change from the captaincy’s point of view.”
Mohammad Rizwan began his captaincy stint in late 2024 and led Pakistan to away series wins against Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Shaheen Afridi replaced him as ODI captain in October 2025.
Mohammad Rizwan Was Still in That Squad – Mike Hesson
Mike Hesson said the current squad selection is part of Pakistan’s long-term planning for the next ICC tournament cycle. The head coach explained that the selectors want to test different combinations and assess new players before the upcoming World Cup in 18 months.
“In terms of this series, you would have noticed in the Bangladesh One-Day series, we made a number of changes to bring in some new players, and Mohammad Rizwan was still in that squad. And coming into this series, we’ve made a couple of other changes,” Hesson explained.
“Because in 18 months time we have a World Cup, so we need to look at the options we have from a working people’s point of view, and that was something that the selection panel decided,” he continued.
Head coach Mike Hesson spoke about the decision to remove Mohammad Rizwan from Pakistan’s ODI captaincy. #TOKSports #MohammadRizwan #MikeHesson pic.twitter.com/zlNpQEQnan
— TOK Sports (@TOKSports021) May 25, 2026
He’s Always Been Functioning as Vice-Captain – Mike Hesson on Salman Ali Agha
Mike Hesson confirmed that Salman Ali Agha has been working as Pakistan’s vice-captain during recent international tours. The head coach said that the role has remained active within the team setup even though no official public announcement was made.
“Salman Ali Agha has been the team’s vice-captain for the last five tours. I’m not aware of any new announcement in the media, but within the team, he’s always been functioning as vice-captain,” Hesson confirmed.
Head coach Mike Hesson said he is not sure about the official announcement, but confirmed that within the team Salman Ali Agha has been serving as the ODI vice-captain.#TOKSports #SalmanAliAgha #MikeHesson pic.twitter.com/Fnht1CDxK3
— TOK Sports (@TOKSports021) May 25, 2026
Pakistan will enter the ODI series against Australia after a mixed run in 50-over cricket, including a recent 2-1 series defeat against Bangladesh. The team management will now rely on senior players like Babar Azam during the upcoming series.
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