As Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in the first match of the tri-series in New Zealand, Mohammad Rizwan once again stood head and shoulders above the rest of his teammates. For the past couple of months, Rizwan has been in a rich vein of form, having finished as the top scorer in Asia Cup 2022 too, as Babar Azam’s side finished runners-up.
Rizwan continued his masterclass in the recently concluded home series against England as well, and in the first T20I versus Bangladesh, the veteran batter played an unbeaten 78-run inning.
The middle order struggled once again, as Rizwan’s knock and the bowlers’ display bailed out the Men in Green, however, Rizwan has been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism due to his slow strike rate.
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Against Bangladesh, the opener played 50 balls and scored 78 runs, and he was at the crease for the entire 20 overs. Rizwan came under criticism for his slow knock after Pakistan’s loss against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final too, however, former skipper Shahid Afridi has a piece of straightforward advice for his compatriot.
Afridi insists that the other players should raise their level, instead of relying heavily on Rizwan who is doing his job well.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re batting or bowling, the start is the main thing. Rizwan and Babar are giving you good starts. But only one or two players can’t make a team, there are 11 players out there. Six batsmen are playing, and you’d expect at least three to score,” said Afridi, speaking to Samaa TV.
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He continued, “Rizwan doesn’t need to change his plan. There’s no need for him to listen to anyone.”
Babar Azam’s side also won their second match of the tri-series against New Zealand on Saturday, with Rizwan getting dismissed after scoring just four runs, but the skipper’s unbeaten 79-run knock helped them chase down the required 148-run target.
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