PAK vs NZ: Rizwan or Sarfaraz - Who is leading Pakistan team in absence of captain Babar Azam?

Pakistani team management was caught off-guard after regular captain Babar Azam failed to take the field on Day 3 of the first Test against New Zealand.

In Babar's absence, vice-captain Mohd Rizwan, who is not in Pakistan's Playing XI, was sent to lead the team.

While wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed was given the charge of review calls given the MCC laws bar substitute players from leading a side.

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According to the MCC Law 24.1.2, a substitute shall not bowl or act as captain but may act as wicketkeeper only with the consent of the umpires.

However, the Pakistan team management corrected their mistake later and clarified that Sarfaraz, and not Rizwan, was the stand-in captain.

Babar and two other Pakistani players were down with viral flu.