The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced a change in ODI leadership, removing Mohammad Rizwan as captain and appointing Shaheen Afridi in his place. The decision reportedly came after a selection committee meeting chaired by head coach Mike Hesson.
So far, it all looked like a routine cricketing move — until former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif dropped a bombshell. Latif made some serious allegations, claiming that Rizwan’s removal had little to do with cricket and everything to do with his religious beliefs and open support for Palestine.
According to Latif, coach Mike Hesson had issues with the “religious environment” inside the Pakistan dressing room that Rizwan had cultivated. The former wicketkeeper suggested that Hesson wanted to dismantle the spiritual atmosphere Rizwan encouraged among players. “This is all Hesson’s doing,” Latif alleged. “He doesn’t like the religious tone in the dressing room and wants to change the culture Rizwan built.”
Latif also connected this controversy to a past incident during the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where Rizwan, leading Multan Sultans, pledged that every six or wicket from his team would result in a donation of 100,000 Pakistani rupees to the Palestine cause.
Whether these claims hold truth or not remains to be seen — but in Pakistan cricket, one thing is certain: captains may come and go, yet the drama never leaves the dressing room.