Mohammad Rizwan refuses to sign central contract, demands an explanation for his exclusion from T20 setup: Report News24 –

Star wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has allegedly refused to sign the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contract, he has asked for an explanation for his exclusion from the T20I team, Samaa TV reported.

According to the report, Rizwan has asked the PCB to clarify the rationale behind his continued exclusion from Pakistan’s T20 setup. Various local media sources have also reported that the 32-year-old has placed further conditions before signing the new contract, though those conditions are not made public.

Rizwan is reportedly the sole player yet to sign the PCB’s revised central contract. His axing as Pakistan’s ODI skipper this year led to Shaheen Shah Afridi assuming the captaincy. No reason was cited by the board in making the change, and Rizwan’s name was notably absent from the official release.

As per the PCB, the selection committee and white-ball head coach Mike Hesson held a meeting in Islamabad to decide the appointment of a new captain. Rizwan’s ousting seemed imminent after the board refused to confirm him as captain prior to the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour. Later, the PCB announced that Hesson had requested the convening of a meeting between the selection and advisory committees, chaired by chairman Mohsin Naqvi, to seal a new skipper.

A subsequent ESPNCricinfo report later suggested that Rizwan’s removal was not initiated by Hesson alone, but had more widespread support in the PCB’s highest decision-making levels.

Rizwan was among 30 players shortlisted earlier this year for Pakistan’s revised central contracts. The board, though, decided against offering Category A contracts to any player in this cycle, instead going for a restructured pay scale.