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In a significant announcement, the Vancouver Knights have named Mohammad Rizwan as the captain for the upcoming Global T20 Canada 2024 season. Rizwan, the Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman, will lead the franchise in this year’s T20 tournament in Canada.
During the T20 World Cup 2024 held in the West Indies and the USA, the Pakistan team, led by Babar Azam, faced an early exit in the group stage. Despite victories over Canada and Ireland in their last two matches, Pakistan’s campaign was marred by losses to the USA and India. Both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan struggled to make an impact with the bat, contributing to their team’s failure to progress to the Super Eight stage.
There are discussions suggesting that the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) may consider significant changes in the Pakistan T20 team, including possible exclusions of Azam and Rizwan from future squads due to their performance shortcomings.
The Vancouver Knights have selected Mohammad Rizwan as their captain for GT20 Season 4, scheduled from July 25 to August 11. Highlighting his formidable batting prowess and adept wicketkeeping abilities, the franchise expressed confidence in Rizwan’s leadership to guide the team to victory in the forthcoming T20 tournament.
“The Vancouver Knights have chosen their captain for GT20 Season 4: Sir Muhammad Rizwan. With his mighty batting skills and sharp wicketkeeping, he’s ready to lead our charge to victory. Prepare for battle, Knights!,” the franchise said in a statement.
Babar Azam will join the Vancouver Knights for Global T20 Canada 2024 under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan. The duo aims to bounce back in the tournament, presenting a new chance for success. Notably, the Vancouver Knights clinched the league’s inaugural title in 2018.
The choice of Mohammad Rizwan over Babar Azam as captain for Global T20 Canada 2024 aligns with expectations. Babar has shown inconsistency in captaincy, both with Pakistan and in the Pakistan Super League. In contrast, Mohammad Rizwan has proven himself as a capable and accomplished leader.
Several Pakistani cricketers, including Asif Ali, Mohammad Amir, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Nawaz, are confirmed participants in Global T20 Canada 2024. Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz will play for the Toronto Nationals, while Iftikhar Ahmed will join the Bangla Tigers Mississauga for the tournament.
The Winnipeg Hawks claimed the GT20 Canada title in 2019, while the Montreal Tigers are the current champions, having secured the trophy in 2023 by defeating the Knights in the final.
Vancouver Knights: Babar Azam, Asif Ali, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Jeremy Gordon, Rishiv Joshi, Sandeep Lamichhane, Dwaine Pretorius, Michael Rippon, Dipendra Singh Airee, Harsh Thaker, Ruben Trumpelmann, Paul van Meekeren, Sarmad Anwar, Mandeep Girdhar, Yuvraj Samra, Shubham Sharma, Ajayveer Singh.
