GT20 Canada 2024: Mohammad Rizwan appointed as Vancouver Knights captain

What was expected to be a straightforward decision in terms of Babar Azam to assume leadership of the Vancouver Knights at the Global T20 Canada 2024 turned out differently. The official announcement from the franchise confirmed that Mohammad Rizwan, wicketkeeper-batter and Babar's national teammate, would be in charge of the league's fourth edition.

Rizwan, while not having captained Pakistan in white-ball cricket, achieved success with the Multan Sultans in the 2021 edition of the Pakistan Super League, leading them to three consecutive finals in subsequent editions. In contrast, Babar, the current national captain who also leads Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL, has faced challenges of late, which might have forced the franchise to announce Rizwan as the designated skipper.

In Rizwan's maiden season with the Knights during the 2023 edition, the 32-year-old secured the fourth position among the top run-scorers, accumulating 190 runs across five innings.

“Hear ye, hear ye! The Vancouver Knights have chosen their captain for GT20 Season 4: Sir @iMRizwanPak! With his mighty batting skills and sharp wicketkeeping, he's ready to lead our charge to victory. Prepare for battle, Knights!,” Vancouver Knights announced through a social media post on X.

Babar and Rizwan are among the four Pakistani cricketers in their line-up, alongside veteran fast bowler, Mohammad Amir, and middle-order batter, Asif Ali. Their squad also features international talents such as Dwaine Pretorius, Sandeep Lamichhane, Dipendra Singh Airee, Paul van Meekeren, and Ruben Trumpelmann.

Speaking of Babar, the star cricketer resumed his role as Pakistan's white-ball skipper earlier this year, but tasted limited success. During the T20 World Cup 2024, the Men in Green failed to advance to the Super Eights stage, getting eliminated in the Group Stage itself.

Also Read: Still don't see Babar Azam as a T20 captain, not among top 15 batters in the format: Michael Vaughan

Additionally, the Pakistani skipper received criticism from former cricketers such as Michael Vaughan and Virender Sehwag, among others, for his captaincy and batting performance during the mega-event.