Tag: Mohammad Rizwan

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan astonished everyone on Sunday with his presence of mind by taking a spectacular catch to dismiss David Miller during the third ODI of the three-match series against South Africa.

The Green Shirts completed a historic whitewash against South Africa on their home turf with a 36-run win in the third and final ODI at Cape Town’s Wanderers Stadium.

Saim Ayub was the star of the match with a scintillating century, followed by the key wicket of David Miller, who is known for his ability to turn things around with his explosive batting.

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However, the wicket of Miller became the talk of the town due to Rizwan’s brilliance behind the stumps.

On the second-to-last ball of the 21st over, Miller attempted a paddle scoop off Saim’s good-length delivery aimed at the stumps. However, Rizwan had anticipated the shot and quickly slid into a leg-slip position, taking a brilliant catch on his chest.

It’s worth noting that during the first innings, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan put together a quick third-wicket stand of 93 runs from 75 balls to set up Pakistan’s total of 308-9.

Saim fell prey to debutant Corbin Bosch right after reaching his century, going back with a quick 101-run knock from 94 balls, laced with 15 boundaries that included two sixes.

Rizwan departed soon after playing a 52-ball knock of 53 runs, which featured five boundaries and one six.

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Salman Ali Agha played a quick-fire knock of 48 runs from 33 balls and added a crucial partnership of 74 runs with Tayyab Tahir (28) to provide a finishing touch to Pakistan’s innings.

In response, South Africa, despite a spirited performance, were bundled for 271 runs in 42 overs.

It’s worth noting that Pakistan became the first-ever team to clean-sweep the Proteas in an ODI series in South Africa.

READ: Babar Azam lauds Saim Ayub after series-winning performance against South Africa

DUBAI: Pakistan batters Babar Azam and Saim Ayub made gains, while skipper Mohammad Rizwan experienced a drop in his position in the latest ICC T20I Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

It’s worth noting Pakistan suffered a 0-2 loss in the three-match T20I series against South Africa after the third match was abandoned due to persistent rain in Johannesburg on 14 December.

This was Mohammad Rizwan’s second consecutive T20I series loss, since becoming Pakistan’s white-ball captain.

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Consequently, Rizwan dropped two places to eighth with 704 rating points after his 13-ball 11 in the second T20I.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam, who bagged a four-ball duck in the first T20I, scored 31 off 20 in the second match and moved one place up to sixth spot in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings.

Other than Babar and Rizwan, there is no batter from Pakistan in the top 50 batters, with Saim Ayub being the third-best-ranked batter from the country.

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Saim is sitting in the 58th spot with 483 rating points after making a massive 45-place jump.

The young batter enjoyed these gains on the back of his unbeaten 98 off 57 balls in the second T20I against South Africa.

In the bowling rankings, pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi fell one place to 21st, while Haris Rauf dropped three places to 26th after their below-par showing against South Africa.

READ: PCB chairman invites Saudi cricket chief to Pakistan for Champions Trophy

DURBAN: Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan bagged multiple unwanted during the first T20I of the three-game series against South Africa at Kingsmead on Tuesday.

Pakistan suffered a heart-wrenching 11-run defeat as they fell short of their target of 184 runs, despite Rizwan occupying the crease throughout the innings before ultimately falling in the final over.

The wicket-keeper scored a scratchy knock of 74 runs from 62 balls at a strike rate of 119.35 with the help of eight boundaries, including three sixes.

He came in as an opener and had scored 46 runs from 49 balls by the end of the 16th over, with his team needing 60 runs from the last four overs to secure victory.

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He switched gears and targeted the teenage bowler Kwena Maphaka, hitting two sixes in the next over and completing his half-century in 50 balls.

However, he couldn’t take his team across the line, as he was out on the second delivery of the final over.

Rizwan’s strike-rate of 119.35 marked his third-lowest in an innings where he scored over fifty runs. His unbeaten run-a-ball 53 against Canada during this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup remains his slowest fifty-plus innings to date.

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The scratchy innings also ranked as the second slowest 70-run innings by a captain in men’s T20 Internationals, second to New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who had scored 70 off 60 balls against Pakistan back in 2016.

Furthermore, Rizwan’s 62-ball 74 placed him fourth on the list of the slowest T20I innings by a full-member batter facing 60 or more balls in a chase.

This record closely trails that of his fellow countryman Sarfaraz Ahmed, who managed an unbeaten 76 runs off 64 balls against New Zealand in 2014, but in a victorious effort.

READ: Shaheen Afridi becomes first Pakistan player to achieve THIS feat

DUBAI: Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi made significant gains in the latest ICC T20I Rankings released on Wednesday.

Rizwan waged a lone war during Pakistan’s narrow 11-run loss in the first T20I against South Africa with an anchoring knock of 74 runs from 62 balls. He struck five boundaries and three sixes before falling in the last over.

Consequently, Rizwan jumped two spots to sit in the sixth position in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings with 713 rating points.

Meanwhile, his opening partner Babar Azam, who bagged a four-ball duck in yesterday’s match, dropped two places down to seventh.

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South African batter David Miller, who smashed a quick-fire 82 off 40 balls, also made a significant nine-spot jump to claim 42nd position.

On the other hand, Shaheen Afridi jumped six places to 20th in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings after taking three wickets to complete his tally of 100 wickets in the format.

However, his fellow pacer Haris Rauf experienced a three-place drop, which placed him in the 23rd spot with 588 rating points.

It’s worth noting that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan moved one place up to 18th and 21st spot respectively in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

Meanwhile, England batter Harry Brook has replaced his team-mate Joe Root as the number one batter in Test rankings following his stellar performance against New Zealand.

READ: Ahmed Shehzad slams Pakistan batters for ‘lack of intent’ after South Africa defeat

Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan has explained why explosive opening batter Fakhar Zaman was excluded from the national squad for the tour of South Africa.

The Pakistan men’s selection committee, on 4 December, announced the squads for the upcoming South Africa tour, scheduled from 10 December to 7 January. The tour comprises three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.

However, Fakhar Zaman was once again ignored after being left out of the central contracts as well as the recent tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Mohammad Rizwan, in a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), asserted that there was no ‘personal bias’ whatsoever behind Fakhar’s exclusion from the team.

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“I think the whole of Pakistan knows Fakhar Zaman, and there’s nothing personal about him that makes anyone feel like he’s being treated unfairly,” said Rizwan.

“From the conversations we’ve had among ourselves, everyone is hopeful about him because he is something different for Pakistan – he’s a character and a game-changer.”

The captain of the white-ball team further revealed that Fakhar is currently unwell and experiencing symptoms reminiscent of a viral fever.

Due to his condition, it was deemed best for him to remain in Pakistan. While he is unable to join the team, he will continue to participate in the ongoing Champions T20 Cup under the careful supervision of the medical team.

“I don’t think anyone knows that he is unwell, basically. It is not only a fitness issue, meaning it is not like he failed a fitness test. From what I personally know, he is unwell with something like a viral fever,” he added.

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“Because of this illness, he has been advised to participate in the ongoing T20 tournament in Pakistan. And, God forbid, if anything serious happens, the doctors will look after him properly.”

Rizwan also shared that the management of the PCB, along with the coaching staff and selection committee, has expressed strong support for Fakhar as he focuses on his recovery.

“I’ve had in-depth discussions with the selection committee regarding this situation,” Rizwan stated.

“The coach and PCB management have been informed to take good care of Fakhar during this time. So, there’s nothing personal against him – the whole of Pakistan knows this. Everyone is hopeful that he’ll rejoin the Pakistan team soon.”

It is important to note that Fakhar Zaman last played for Pakistan during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 in June.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed clears the air on retirement statement

DUBAI: Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi experienced a significant drop in their positions in the latest ICC T20I Rankings released on Wednesday.

Rizwan, who was rested from the ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe, dropped two places and is now sitting eighth in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings with 704 rating points.

Consequently, England’s Jos Buttler (6th) and India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (7th) both gained one place each in the rankings.

Meanwhile, Shaheen slipped two places after missing the T20I series against Zimbabwe and is now sitting at the 26th spot in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings with 573 points.

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It’s worth noting that both Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi will return to Pakistan’s T20I side on the upcoming South Africa tour, scheduled from 10 December to 7 January. The tour comprises three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.

Meanwhile, Abbas Afridi, who claimed figures of 2-2 in the second T20I against Zimbabwe, jumped a whopping 20 places to reach the 60th spot in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings with 450 rating points.

On the other hand, opening batter Fakhar Zaman experienced a decline, falling two positions to settle in 16th place in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings with 642 points. His compatriot Imam-ul-Haq also faced a drop, slipping to 18th place with 633 points.

READ: Taijul Islam spins Bangladesh to level Test series with West Indies

BULAWAYO: Pakistan white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan on Saturday stressed that the ODI series against Zimbabwe will serve as a key preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan and Zimbabwe will lock horns in a three-match ODI series followed by as many T20Is at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo from 24 November to 5 December.

This will be Pakistan’s second ODI series this month after they beat Australia 2-1 earlier in November in their own backyard.

Former fast bowler and member of the National Men’s Selection Committee, Aaqib Javed has been appointed the interim white-ball head coach of the Pakistan team until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at home.

The ODI series against Zimbabwe will be his first assignment after he joined the team on Friday.

Pakistan’s ODI squad, led by Mohammad Rizwan, reached Zimbabwe on Wednesday and had three extensive practice sessions in the lead-up to the ODI series.

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“The ODI series against Zimbabwe is equally important for us as we aim to test out our bench strength and plan towards the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at home,” said Rizwan.

“With the help of the Almighty, we aim to keep the winning momentum from out last ODI series going.

“With the trio of our main players resting up after the Australia series, it will be exciting to see other players putting their hands up and helping the team at various times during the 50-over contests.

“Having played against the home team various times, we do expect them to put up challenges for us during the three ODIs but crucially this series will also test out temperament in terms of backing up a historic win in Australia.”

In the 15-member squad Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been replaced with the uncapped duo of Abrar Ahmed and Ahmed Daniyal along with pacer Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir.

Pakistan and Zimbabwe last faced each other in the 50-over format in November 2020 in Rawalpindi where Pakistan beat the visitors 2-1. Pakistan, on their last visit to Zimbabwe, whitewashed the Chevrons in a five-match ODI series in July 2018.

Pakistan ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Shahnawaz Dahani, Saim Ayub, and Tayyab Tahir

Zimbabwe ODI squad: Craig Ervine (captain), Brian Bennett, Blessing Muzarabani, Brandon Mavuta, Clive Madande, Dion Myers, Faraz Akram, Joylord Gumbie, Richard Ngarava, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tashinga Musekiwa, Tinotenda Maposa and Trevor Gwandu.

Schedule of Pakistan-Zimbabwe white-ball series

24 Nov – 1st ODI vs Zimbabwe (12:30 PM)

26 Nov – 2nd ODI vs Zimbabwe (12:30 PM)

28 Nov – 3rd ODI vs Zimbabwe (12:30 PM)

1 Dec – 1st T20I vs Zimbabwe (04:00 PM)

3 Dec – 2nd T20I vs Zimbabwe (04:00 PM)

5 Dec – 3rd T20I vs Zimbabwe (04:00 PM)

READ: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi to miss Champions T20 Cup

DUBAI: Pakistan batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan experienced a drop in their positions in the latest ICC T20I Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

The Green Shirts suffered a humiliating whitewash in the three-match series, mainly courtesy of the team’s below-par batting performance.

Babar managed a meagre 47 runs in the series at an average of 15.66 and a strike-rate of 142.42, meanwhile, Rizwan scored 16 runs in two games at a dismal strike-rate of 57.14. Consequently, both batters dropped one place each in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings.

Mohammad Rizwan is currently in 6th place with 719 rating points, while Babar Azam has dropped from 4th to 5th place with 742 rating points.

It’s worth noting that other than Babar and Rizwan, no Pakistani batter is among the top 50 batters in the T20I rankings, with Fakhar Zaman (64) being the third-highest-ranked batter from the country.

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Meanwhile, Indian batter Tilak Varma made a massive leap in the ICC T20I Batting Rankings, jumping a whopping 69 spots to clinch third place after his stellar performance in the four-match series against South Africa.

Varma smashed two undefeated centuries in the series, amassing a total of 280 runs over the course of four innings with a remarkable average of 140.00 and an explosive strike rate of 198.58.

It’s worth noting that Australia’s Travis Head, who missed the series against Pakistan, is leading the batting rankings, followed by England’s Phil Salt.

Varma’s team-mate Sanju Samson, who was the second-highest run-scorer in the series against South Africa, also made a notable gain, rising 17 places to reach 22nd.

Samson also struck two centuries during the series and accumulated 216 runs at an average of 111 and a strike rate of 194.59.

READ: Former Pakistan captain suggests Sahibzada Farhan is not ‘international material’

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has advised the national white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan to bat with a fresh mind without any pressure.

Rizwan took over the captaincy of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team after Babar Azam stepped down from the position last month.

In his first assignment as captain, Rizwan successfully guided his team to a historic victory, breaking a 22-year drought by securing an ODI series win in Australia.

However, during the subsequent three-match T20I series, Pakistan failed to continue their winning run and faced defeats in the first two games.

Rizwan came under fire for his batting performance as he bagged a duck in the first T20I and scored 166 off 26 in the second match.

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After the loss in the second T20I, Mohammad Amir, in a video on his YouTube channel, praised Rizwan’s captaincy but expressed concerns over his batting in the T20I format.

“Even though Mohammad Rizwan is so brave and captaining like a warrior, in batting he does seem stuck,” said Amir.

“Because he does not usually bat in such a hesitant manner as he has seemed to in the last two matches like he is stuck and batting cautiously.

“He should play freely, he is the captain, he should play with a fresh mind and perform.”

Notably, Rizwan and pace bowler Naseem Shah have been rested for the third T20I against Australia, with Haseebullah Khan and Jahandad Khan coming in as replacements.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan donates his gloves, shirt to SCG Museum

Pakistan white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan, made a heartfelt gesture on Saturday by donating his wicket-keeping gloves and playing shirt to the renowned Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) Museum.

The wicket-keeper donated his gloves and shirt after the second T20I between Pakistan and Australia on Saturday, which the visitors lost by 13 runs.

The management team at the SCG expressed their sincere appreciation for Rizwan’s generous gesture, recognizing the significance of these prized possessions in enriching the museum’s collection and celebrating the sport’s history.

“Thank you, Mohammad Rizwan,” they posted on Facebook. “Following Saturday’s T20 International against Australia, Pakistan Captain Mohammad Rizwan donated a pair of his keeping gloves and a playing shirt to the Sydney Cricket Ground museum.”

Kamil Khan, a Pakistani-born Multicultural Ambassador for Cricket Australia (CA), graced the occasion with his presence.

He conveyed his heartfelt appreciation to the SCG for the honour bestowed upon Rizwan, who was celebrated with a prominent place in the prestigious museum.

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“A heartfelt thank you to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for acknowledging our captain, Mohammad Rizwan, and for preserving this special moment in the SCG museum,” Khan stated.

“It’s truly an honor to see Pakistan’s cricketing spirit celebrated on such an iconic stage. Grateful for this recognition of our team and captain.”

READ: Mohammad Rizwan rested as Pakistan unveil Playing XI for third Australia T20I