Aqib Javed defends selection of Usman, Babar ahead of Rizwan for the T20 World Cup

Having played the previous three T20 World Cups, Mohammad Rizwan has been dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming edition next month. The decision hardly comes as a surprise. Since the previous T20 World Cup, Rizwan has played only four T20Is, none since the start of 2025.

Babar in, Rizwan stays out of favour

His exclusion from the T20I side came after a string of poor performances, highlighted by a pedestrian strike rate next to his name. While Babar Azam, who was sidelined owing to similar issues, has since made a comeback to the team, Rizwan’s future in the format remains bleak.

When asked why Rizwan could not find a spot in the side like Babar, Pakistan’s Director of High Performance and member of the Men’s National Selection Committee, Aqib Javed, said that the latter fit their plans better.

"You have to look at how the batting composition of your team shapes up. In that, Babar is seen by both the coach and the captain as someone who can play a vital role in the team. This doesn’t mean that if one player is given a chance, another is denied one," Javed said.

“We don’t think in terms of comparing one player to another or why one was chosen and the other wasn’t. There’s no logic in that. What you need to see is who fits better in the squad and which player makes the team stronger," he added.

Who gets the gloves?

Rizwan’s inclusion for the World Cup had been uncertain for a while, which meant Pakistan had to scramble to find a decent wicket-keeping option. Khawaja Nafay and Usman Khan had been frontrunners to take up the job. Usman, who has also been struggling to put impactful runs on the board, also had his inclusion questioned, particularly with Rizwan out.

The Pakistan management, however, preferred Usman for his ability to slot in the middle order when needed, something Rizwan has not shown himself to be capable of.

"When it comes to Usman Khan’s performance, we consider the availability we have and the type of cricket we want to play. You build a composition of 7–8 batsmen, and you need to see what type of players come together to form a batting unit that can perform in any total or under any conditions,” Javed added.

Head coach Mike Hesson also voiced his opinion, saying that the team combination cannot sustain playing a wicket-keeper in the opening spot.

"Usman Khan has been exceptional since he came back. He remained not out in three chases where we were losing wickets, and he has shown experience. His wicketkeeping is probably going better than expected. In Sri Lanka, it was high quality," Hesson said.

"The role we have for our keeper is someone through the middle, batting at five or six. You are not comparing like for like, as Rizwan is a top-order batter. There’s no spot in that role for a wicketkeeper," Hesson explained.

Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup:

Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.

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