'Rizwan bans non-Muslim workers from entering prayer room,' Imam Ul Haq claims

A clip has surfaced online featuring Pakistan cricket team opener player Imam-ul-Haq discussing the leadership qualities of white ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.

During a podcast, host Roha Nadeem asked Imam to associate Pakistan cricket team players with preselected words. When the word “the leader” was mentioned. Imam said, “I cannot recall any name right now; everyone is fighting with each other.”

He then paused a bit and said that he would call Rizwan “the leader”, given that the latter can gather everyone during prayer time. 

Further describing Rizwan’s leadership, Imam said that Rizwan manages all things, including searching out a room for prayers, laying white sheets there and banning all hotel workers from entering the prayer room if they're not Muslim. 

He said that Rizwan usually creates a WhatsApp group and then sends the prayer timings there, adding, “This is all done by Rizwan, so this is why I’ll say he has good qualities." 

When asked who the “fitness expert” on the team is, Imam was quick to respond that incumbent red ball captain Shaan Masood had been the fitness expert right from the start.

The host chimed in, “Seems like he has a proper fitness routine.” Imam said that Masood has the latest techniques and keeps bringing them into the team, whether it would be regarding batting or fitness. “However, he is a fitness freak and is very fit,” said the opener batsman.

On being asked about who Imam would associate with the word “marriage counsellor”, he replied that Rizwan and all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed are marriage counsellors in the team. “He [Rizwan] tells everyone to get married,” he added. 

After losing the first match to New Zealand, Rizwan-led Pakistan cricket team lost the match against India in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champion Trophy 2025 too at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. With New Zealand winning their second match against Bangladesh on Monday, Pakistan was officially eliminated from the ICC CT 2025 tournament.

Following the defeat from India, Rizwan, while speaking to reporters on Sunday, said his team had paid a heavy price for failing to build on the momentum. “The middle order wasn't good enough,” he added.

“As a captain, I don't like this (depending on other teams). If you're good enough, you show it by winning and keeping things in your hands. What matters is that India and New Zealand beat us. They played strong and we didn't play well. If we get a chance (to sneak through) then so be it,” he said.