Babar Azam is set to play under the leadership of fellow opener and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan for the Vancouver Knights in GT20 Canada 2024.
Rizwan brings significant captaincy experience from his time leading the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Announcing Rizwan as their captain, the Vancouver Knights stated, "Hear ye, hear ye! Sir @iMRizwanPak is chosen to lead the Vancouver Knights for GT20 Season 4! With his exceptional batting and sharp wicketkeeping, he's prepared to guide us to victory. Get ready for battle, Knights."
Joining Babar and Rizwan on the Knights' roster are Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir and middle-order batter Asif Ali. The squad also includes international talents such as New Zealand's Michael Rippon, South Africa's Dwaine Pretorius, Namibia's Ruben Trumpelmann, and Guyana's Jeremy Gordon.
After a disappointing performance in the recent T20 World Cup, where Pakistan didn't advance past the group stage, both Rizwan and Babar are eager to regain their form. Babar, who captained Pakistan, scored 122 runs in four matches at an average of 40.66 but with a low strike rate of 101.66, which drew criticism from fans and former cricketers alike.
Rizwan also had an underwhelming World Cup, accumulating 110 runs at an average of 36.66 and a strike rate of 90.90. Pakistan's campaign ended after two consecutive losses in the group stage. They started with a Super Over defeat against co-hosts USA and narrowly lost to rivals India. Despite winning their remaining two games, it wasn't sufficient to advance to the next round.
GT20 Canada 2024 is scheduled from July 25 to August 11, with the Vancouver Knights opening their campaign against the Toronto Nationals on the first day.
Vancouver Knights Squad: 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.