KARACHI: Pakistan’s new white-ball skipper Mohammad Rizwan said Tuesday he hopes a new-look squad will settle into form on their Australia tour, after a saga of upheaval for the side.
Rizwan was appointed captain of limited over formats on Sunday, replacing Babar Azam who had two turns in the post but wasn’t able to allay a run of disastrous tournament performances.
Pakistan suffered further tumult on Monday when white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten resigned over differences on selection just days before the Australia tour. Test coach Jason Gillespie will stand in as a replacement.
Three one-day international matches will kick off in Melbourne on November 4, followed by the same number of T20Is in a test of the team ahead of next year’s Champion Trophy.
Openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq were dropped on fitness and disciplinary issues.
“We will miss them, but ahead of a major event like the Champions Trophy we want to test various combinations and hope they will settle before the event,” Rizwan told reporters.
Pakistan recalled Azam and pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for the series after dropping them for the last two Tests of the England series they won 2-1 last week.
The ODI squad also includes Aamer Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Saim Ayub who have yet to play the format.
Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha are previously untested players included in the T20I squad.
“Whoever is the coach we need to combine well and bring good results on a tough tour,” said Rizwan.
Pakistan have won only two of their last 16 ODIs in Australia and lost three of the four T20Is.
New Pakistan white-ball skipper hopes Australia tour settles side
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New Pakistan white-ball skipper hopes Australia tour settles side
- Mohammad Rizwan was appointed captain of limited over formats on Sunday, replacing Babar Azam
- Three one-day international matches will kick off in Melbourne on November 4, followed by three T20Is
Pakistani court sentences TLP leader for 35 years over incitement against ex-chief justice
- The case stems from a 2024 speech targeting former Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa over a blasphemy ruling
- Conviction follows the government’s move to proscribe Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan after clashes with police this year
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court this week sentenced a leader of the religio-political party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to 35 years’ imprisonment on multiple charges for inciting hate against former Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa.
Peer Zaheer ul Hasan Bukhari made the remarks in a 2024 speech at the Lahore Press Club against the former chief justice for issuing a judgment in a case involving a man named Mubarak Sani under the blasphemy laws, a member of a minority religious community whose death sentence was overturned.
Authorities said Bukhari’s comments amounted to incitement to violence, after which police registered a case against him under various terrorism-related provisions as well as charges of inciting hatred.
The cleric was handed multiple jail terms on a range of charges, with the longest being 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, amounting to a total of 35 years.
“All the sections of imprisonment awarded to the convict shall run concurrently,” Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Arshad Javed said in a letter to the Kot Lakhpat Central Jail superintendent.
A collective fine of Rs600,000 ($,150) was also imposed on the TLP party leader under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The move follows Pakistan’s decision in October to ban the TLP and designate it a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act after violent clashes between its supporters and law enforcement in Punjab.
The unrest erupted as demonstrators attempted to travel from Lahore to Islamabad, saying they wanted to stage a pro-Palestine rally outside the US Embassy.
However, officials said TLP supporters were armed with bricks and batons, arguing their intention was to stir violence similar to earlier marches toward the federal capital.
The clashes between TLP supporters and police resulted in the deaths of five people, including two policemen, and injured more than 100 officers and dozens of protesters.
Led by Saad Hussain Rizvi, the TLP is known for its confrontational street politics and mass mobilizations.
Since its emergence in 2017, the party has repeatedly organized sit-ins and marches toward Islamabad, often triggering violent confrontations and prolonged disruptions on major routes to the capital.
