'He gets 60 lakh per month... stop his central contract': Mohammad Rizwan accused of ‘insulting PCB’

There is no end to drama and controversies regarding Pakistan cricket. According to reports in Pakistani media, ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan opted to play club cricket rather than participate in the National T20 Cup, which is organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). This move is drawing a lot of flak from all corners. Former Pakistan pacer Sikander Bakht has also jumped on the bandwagon, asking PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi to be "strict" and stop Rizwan's central contract. Pakistan ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan has been accused of insulting the PCB(AFP)

Rizwan is already under fire after Pakistan's lacklustre performance in the ICC Men's Champions Trophy, where the side crashed out in the group stage. In the aftermath, Rizwan was also dropped from Pakistan's T20I side, and he is currently not in the squad for the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Speaking after Pakistan's loss in the second T20I against New Zealand on Tuesday, Sikander Bakht said that the centrally-contracted players are "employees" of the PCB; hence, they must be available for all the tournaments the board organises.

He also urged Mohsin Naqvi to be a little stricter in his ways and implement harsh penalties on the offenders.

"They are employees of the Pakistan Cricket Board. They get 60 lakh per month, so they must play in the tournaments the PCB is organising. The buck stops with PCB. They have to make sure that players are available. If you are playing club cricket and not playing the tournament the board has organised, it means you are insulting the PCB," Bakht told Geo Super.

"This shouldn't happen. Mohsin Naqvi needs to be strict. He comes off as a polite person, but he needs to change his ways. You have to ask what is happening. Be strict. Stop their central contracts," he added.

How did Rizwan perform in the Champions Trophy?

In the Champions Trophy, Rizwan's leadership left a lot to be desired. Even his performances with the bat were underwhelming. He scored 3 and 46 against New Zealand and India, aggregating 49 runs in the two matches he played in the competition.

Several pundits scrutinised his 46-run knock against India, criticising Rizwan for not maintaining enough tempo in the middle overs phase.

Rizwan had earlier taken over the ODI captaincy from Babar Azam. Under Rizwan, Pakistan won an ODI series against Australia in November 2024.

However, the results have gone downhill from there. Earlier, Pakistan bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz called out Rizwan's body language during the Champions Trophy match against India.

“There's no doubt about that (India are ahead of Pakistan). When I watched the toss, I saw the reaction of the Pakistan captain (Mohammad Rizwan). He looked lost somewhere. I don't know if it was due to pressure, but he didn't look the same as he generally does,” Nawaz told Cricbuzz.

“Unlike in other matches, he wasn't blabbering at all; he was just quiet. I don't know what went wrong there. Pakistan's selection was very poor," he added.

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