For the remainder of the 2025 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), former Pakistan T20I captain Mohammad Rizwan has joined the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. Fazalhaq Farooqi, who will join Afghanistan prior to their tri-series against Pakistan and the UAE in the United Arab Emirates, is replaced by the wicketkeeper-batter.
Within the following 24 hours, the league is anticipated to formally ratify the agreement, according to ESPNcricinfo. Rizwan has been given permission to play in the CPL without any national team commitments, though, as Pakistan has excluded him from the Asia Cup and the forthcoming UAE tri-series.
Rizwan’s availability for Thursday, August 21’s St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots game against the Barbados Royals is still unknown.
A No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is seen as a formality in this instance, is anticipated to be issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Rizwan will make his first appearance in the CPL, joining an increasing number of Pakistani players who are participating in the tournament.
Leg-spinner Usama Mir was already named the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons’ representative. Two Pakistani fast bowlers, Naseem Shah and Abbas Afridi, are already part of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots’ roster. Salman Irshad, Mohammad Amir, and Imad Wasim are also participating in this year’s competition, which enhances Pakistan’s standing in the league.
By joining, Rizwan will also have completed the two abroad T20 league spells that centrally signed Pakistani players are permitted to have during a 12-month period beginning in July. He was confirmed as a big-name addition to the Melbourne Renegades of Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) earlier this year.
In the meantime, the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots’ campaign has had a mixed start. They started the CPL with a victory, but then lost three straight games and are now ranked second from the bottom. The team, who took home the trophy in 2017 and 2021, will be hoping to turn things around this season.
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