Mohammad Rizwan, left out of Pakistan’s T20 squad, is set to play in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for the very first time.
For Rizwan, the doors to Pakistan’s T20I team have been shut for quite some time. He was also overlooked for the upcoming Asia Cup. Now, in a bid to knock on those doors again, the experienced wicketkeeper-batter has signed with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, joining the two-time CPL champions as a replacement for pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who had to leave due to Afghanistan’s national team commitments.
Rizwan is yet to receive the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but that’s expected to arrive soon as a mere formality.
With this move, Rizwan has already filled his quota of two overseas leagues in a 12-month period, as per PCB’s policy introduced in July. He is also set to feature in the Big Bash League (BBL) later this year, having signed with the Melbourne Renegades.
Interestingly, Babar Azam, who was also dropped from Pakistan’s T20 squad alongside Rizwan, will make his BBL debut this season with the Sydney Sixers.
Rizwan last played T20 cricket for Pakistan in December during the South Africa tour. Despite his impressive consistency — 8,421 runs in 286 T20 matches, including 3 centuries and 69 fifties — his strike rate of 125.85 and conservative approach have often drawn criticism, particularly when paired with Babar.
The CPL could offer Rizwan a chance to prove himself again. While most CPL pitches tend to be slow and spin-friendly — conditions that might suit his style — his home ground with the Patriots, St Kitts, generally favors batting.
Several other Pakistani players are featuring in the CPL this season, including Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, Mohammad Amir, and Salman Irshad. Rizwan will have plenty of familiar faces in the dressing room.
However, his new team, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, has had a mixed start to the tournament — winning the opener but suffering three straight defeats since.
