In a historic and controversial tactical move, Pakistan's star wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan became the first overseas player in the history of Australia's Big Bash League (BBL) to be 'retired out' during a match. The incident occurred on January 12, 2026, during a clash between his team, Melbourne Renegades, and the Sydney Thunder.
A Strategic Call That Made History
The decision came from Renegades captain Will Sutherland, who called Rizwan back to the pavilion after the Pakistani batter had laboured to 26 runs off 23 deliveries. This strategic retirement was not due to any injury, making Rizwan only the third batsman overall in BBL history to be retired out for purely tactical reasons. Interestingly, just before the call, Rizwan had been given a lifeline when Sydney Thunder's Cameron Bancroft dropped a catch at long-on.
Struggling Campaign for Pakistani Stars
This season has been challenging for both Mohammad Rizwan and his national teammate Babar Azam, who are making their BBL debuts. In the eight matches he has played so far, Rizwan has managed just 167 runs at an average of 20.87 and a strike rate of 101.82. His innings against the Thunder included two fours and his first six of the tournament, which arrived after eight innings and 152 balls faced. Babar Azam has also found the going tough, scoring 154 runs in eight matches with a strike rate of 104.05 and an average of 25.66.
Did The Gamble Pay Off?
The effectiveness of Sutherland's bold move is debatable. After Rizwan's departure, the Renegades could only add 16 more runs in the remaining two overs, setting a target of 171. The match was then interrupted by rain, leading to a revised target of 140 runs for Sydney Thunder from 16 overs under the DLS method. The Thunder themselves faced a dramatic collapse, stumbling to 95 for 6 in the 13th over. However, a match-winning partnership between Nic Maddison—who was himself retired out in a previous game—and Chris Green capitalised on some poor Renegades bowling at the death to seal a four-wicket victory for Sydney Thunder.
The match will be remembered not for its result but for the unprecedented tactical decision that placed Mohammad Rizwan in the BBL record books for a rare and unenviable feat.
