Pakistan’s white-ball captain Muhammad Rizwan has drawn attention after opting to play club cricket rather than participating in the ongoing National T20 Cup, which runs until March 27.

Rizwan, 31, recently returned from performing Umrah following Pakistan’s disappointing ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, where the hosts and defending champions failed to win a single match, finishing bottom of Group A with just one point.

Instead of joining the 18-team National T20 Cup, the wicketkeeper-batter chose to remain in his hometown, featuring in club-level matches. Pictures of Rizwan playing surfaced on social media, with reports suggesting he scored an unbeaten century.

His absence from the domestic competition comes after Pakistan’s selection committee excluded him, along with other senior players, from the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Pakistan’s campaign in New Zealand began with a nine-wicket defeat in the first T20I. The batting lineup struggled, collapsing for 91 all out, losing three wickets for just one run at the start. New Zealand comfortably chased the target, sealing the win with 59 balls to spare, marking Pakistan’s worst defeat while batting first in T20I history.

Rizwan’s decision to play club cricket instead of the domestic T20 competition has sparked discussions regarding player priorities and team selections ahead of Pakistan’s future white-ball commitments.