'Replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed with Mohammad Rizwan is a tactical decision'

Pakistan captain Shan Masood shared the reason behind replacing wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed with Mohammad Rizwan for the second Test against Australia in Melbourne.

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Sarfaraz Ahmed’s replacement in the side comes amid criticism of his performance in the series opener at Perth’s Optus Stadium. The former Pakistan captain dropped catches and scored just seven runs in the fixture.

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Shan Masood opened up on the team change in a conversation with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ahead of the Melbourne Test. According to him, it was a tactical change made while considering Mohammad Rizwan’s past performances.

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“Bringing in [Mohammad] Rizwan for Sarfaraz [Ahmed] is a tactical decision as we feel he can bat well in these conditions, evident from his batting records in Australia, England and New Zealand,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Men in Green were handed a 360-run drubbing at the hands of Australia at the series opener at Perth’s Optus Stadium. The side were dismissed for just 89 in chase of the 450-run target.

He added that the side looked at some of our weaknesses from the Perth Test and they must work on several areas to compete against a formidable side like Australia.

The Pakistan captain added that he is aware of the importance of the Melbourne Test concerning the side’s World Test Championship (WTC) standing.

Pakistan’s 12-man squad for Melbourne Test: Shan Masood (captain), Shaheen Afridi (vice captain), Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Aamir Jamal and Sajid Khan.