Tag: Mohammad Rizwan

West Indies wicketkeeper batter Nicholas Pooran broke his Pakistan counterpart Mohammad Rizwan’s record of scoring the most T20 runs in a calendar year.

Pooran achieved the milestone during the 30th match of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 between Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Royals.

Nicholas Pooran needed just five runs to go past Mohammad Rizwan’s record of 2,036 runs, set in 2021, and he achieved the milestone in the first over of the Knight Riders’ innings.

Nicholas Pooran has now amassed an astonishing 2,059 runs from 65 innings, with a remarkable strike rate of 160.63.

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Earlier, the in-form batter also broke Chris Gayle’s record of hitting the most sixes in a calendar year.

Pooran has thus far hit more than 150 sixes in the year 2024, surpassing Gayle, who hit 135 sixes in 2015.

In the ongoing CPL 2024, Pooran has amassed 312 runs from nine innings at a strike rate of 175.28. His recent performance helped secure a 30-run victory against Barbados Royals.

South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks trails behind with 1,555 runs, followed by Pakistan’s Babar Azam with 1,480 runs.

READ: Rohit Sharma admits risking collapse to defeat Bangladesh in Kanpur Test

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has raised questions over the performance of wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan in crucial matches.

During a recent interview, Kaneria criticised Rizwan’s ability to perform in tough situations, citing the example of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 clash against arch-rivals India.

During the match against India, Pakistan only managed 113 runs for the loss of seven wickets while chasing a modest 120-run target.

Mohammad Rizwan was Pakistan’s top-scorer with 31 runs off 44 balls, however, he failed to take the team across the line as he got out at a crucial moment.

Danish Kaneria was asked to choose between Rizwan and Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. The former leg-spinner preferred Pant, owing to Rizwan’s inability to score in crunch situations.

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“He [Rizwan] doesn’t score runs when it matters, that’s the only problem. In the T20 World Cup, when Rizwan was on strike, Rohit Sharma deliberately brought in Jasprit Bumrah into the attack because he knew that he would get him out. It was very obvious,” he said.

Kaneria then questioned Rizwan’s shot selection against Bumrah, raising questions over his game awareness.

“How could you sweep the first ball? I mean what is this? You couldn’t score runs against Axar Patel, taking singles and doubles and putting pressure on your partner,” he added.

“Then, when you knew that a skipper has brought a fast bowler to get your wicket, you say, ‘Here, take my wicket’.”

Notably, Pakistan crashed out from the group stage of the tournament, majorly because of their upset defeat against the USA, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

READ: New Zealand all-rounder shares his admiration for Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has thrown his weight behind wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan as the next captain of the national white-ball team.

The current white-ball captain Babar Azam has been under fire following Pakistan’s lacklustre ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in June, where they got knocked out from the group stage.

Many fans and critics have attributed the Green Shirts’ disastrous performance to Babar’s captaincy and called for his removal as captain.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hold a high-profile meeting on September 22, dubbed “Connection Camp”, to discuss the future of the national cricket team as well as all-format captaincy.

Basit Ali, in a video on his YouTube channel, gave his opinion on the ongoing speculations about Mohammad Rizwan replacing Babar Azam as the captain.

He highlighted Rizwan’s leadership skills, which are on full display during the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup, where the wicketkeeper is leading Markhors.

“The way [Mohammad] Rizwan led the side, he proved there is no better skipper than him. He has shown it with his captaincy,” said Basit Ali.

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“He read the pitch; it is a big thing. Even Babar can’t do that. I am not even talking about Shan. If you don’t make him captain at this time, then it is a loss for Pakistan. This is the best time you should make Rizwan the captain.”

Prior to Basit, former captain Moin Khan also acknowledged Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership skills but claimed the 32-year-old to be a short-term option.

He instead called for grooming a youngster for the national team’s leadership.

“A single captain can be appointed for all formats of cricket, but it’s crucial for any player to perform across all formats to achieve this,” said Moin.

“Whoever becomes captain should have the responsibility for the long term. There is no doubt about Mohammad Rizwan’s abilities; any criticism against him might be due to his age.

“It’s also important to consider how long he can represent the team if given leadership. Mohammad Rizwan could be a great short-term captain, but you would need to groom a young cricketer to take over in the future. We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy.”

It’s worth noting that Rizwan-led Markhors have won both of their matches in the Champions One-Day Cup and are sitting at the top of the points table.

WATCH: Babar Azam hits Shahnawaz Dahani for five consecutive fours

Legendary Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Moin Khan termed Mohammad Rizwan’s age only obstacle for him to become the all-format Pakistan captain, stating he would be a short-term option.

In an interview with a cricket news platform, Moin said Pakistan can appoint an all-format captain but should be given ample tenure to lead the national team.

Moin Khan acknowledged Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership skills but claimed the 32-year-old to be a short-term option. He instead called for grooming a youngster for the national team’s leadership.

“A single captain can be appointed for all formats of cricket, but it’s crucial for any player to perform across all formats to achieve this. Whoever becomes captain should have the responsibility for a long term. There is no doubt about Mohammad Rizwan’s abilities; any criticism against him might be due to his age,” said Moin Khan.

“It’s also important to consider how long he can represent the team if given leadership. Mohammad Rizwan could be a great short-term captain, but you would need to groom a young cricketer to take over in the future. We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy,” he added.

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Moin Khan then backed ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as the ideal candidate for Pakistan captaincy.

“Shaheen Afridi has the ability to lead the team and is highly liked by the players. He is an excellent choice for captaincy in T20s,” Moin stated.

“In white-ball cricket, I don’t see anyone else suitable for the role. Removing him from the captaincy was unjust. He is one of the best T20 players, and I’ve noticed his performance has slightly declined since he was removed from the captaincy. How can you expect good performance if you don’t give players confidence? They should be given some time as captain,” he added.

READ: Mohammad Abbas achieves major milestone in first-class cricket

Team Wolves’ captain Mohammad Rizwan pinned high hopes on the home crowd to serve as the “12th man” in the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup, scheduled to run from September 12 to 29 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Rizwan will be marshalling the Wolves side with Misbah-ul-Haq being the mentor.

The home team will be looking to make a successful start to the Champions One-Day Cup when they will feature in the tournament opener against Shadab Khan’s Panthers on Thursday, 12 September.

“It is heartening to see a highly-competitive domestic tournament like the Champions One-Day Cup coming to life in Faisalabad. I’m excited to be leading the Wolves, which is like a home team as our academy is based in this vibrant city,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) quoted Rizwan saying.

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“I’m eagerly looking forward to the local crowd supporting Wolves during the tournament and I feel they are going to act as the 12th player for us. With the help of the Almighty, we will try our best to perform well in this tournament.”

WOLVES Squad for Champions One-Day Cup: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, Peshawar), Fakhar Zaman (Abbottabad), Abdul Samad (Faisalabad), Akif Javed (FATA), Ali Usman (Multan), Bilawal Bhatti (Muridke), Haseebullah (Pishin), Iftikhar Ahmed (Peshawar), Kamran Ghulam (Peshawar), Mohammad Faizan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Imran Jnr (Peshawar), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (FATA), Muhammad Imran (Khanewal), Naseem Shah (Lahore), Nisar Ahmed (Lahore), Salman Ali Agha (Lahore), Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana), Zahid Mehmood (Dadu) and Zain Abbas (Multan).

Schedule of Wolves’ matches (all their matches will start at 3pm):

12 Sep – Wolves v Panthers
15 Sep – Wolves v Stallions
17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves
20 Sep – Lions v Wolves

READ: National Men’s U19 tournaments to begin on Tuesday

DUBAI: Pakistan batter Babar Azam experienced a significant drop in his position, while wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan witnessed a substantial rise in the latest ICC Test Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

Pakistan suffered their first-ever defeat against Bangladesh in Tests when they succumbed to a 10-wicket defeat in the opening Test of the two-match series. The recent defeat has led to a drop in the ICC Test rankings for the players of Pakistan.

Babar Azam has been out of form lately and gave a forgettable performance in the first Test against Bangladesh, returning with scores of 0 and 22.

The star batter dropped a massive six positions, falling from third to ninth with 734 points, only six points shy of fellow countryman Mohammad Rizwan.

The wicketkeeper batter, on the other hand, enjoyed a substantial surge in the ICC Test Rankings, thanks to his scores of 171 not out and 51.

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Rizwan’s impressive performance has propelled him up seven spots to achieve his career-high ranking, securing a spot in the top 10 for the first time. He is ranked joint-tenth alongside Australia’s Usman Khawaja with 728 rating points.

Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel played a 141-run knock in the first innings before falling for a duck in the second innings, resulting in his one-spot rise to 13th.

Meanwhile, pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi dropped two places to tenth after a below-par performance in the first Test against Bangladesh, returning with figures of 2-88 in the first innings.

Opening batter Abdullah Shafique also sunk three places to 34th after scoring a total of 39 runs across both innings of the Rawalpindi Test.

On the other hand, Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim climbed seven places to reach his career-best 17th, courtesy of his stellar 191-run knock.

READ: Abrar Ahmed joins Pakistan squad for second Bangladesh Test

Bangladesh pace bowling coach, Andre Adams, has warned his team about the threat posed by Pakistan batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan ahead of the upcoming second Test match in Rawalpindi.

The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to start on 30 August at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

In the first match of the two-match series, Bangladesh made history by securing their maiden Test victory against Pakistan.

The hosts after being put into bat first, accumulated 448/6 and declared their first innings in the dying minutes of the second day.

Bangladesh, in response, piled up a mammoth total of 565, courtesy of Mushfiqur Rahim’s marathon 191-run knock, before bundling out in the third session of the fourth day.

The first Test was assumed to be heading towards a draw but Pakistan’s batting lineup faltered against Bangladesh’s spinners on the final day and could score 146, setting the visitors a meagre 30-run target.

During an interview with The Daily Star, Andre Adams shared insights about the approach for the upcoming second Test.

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He highlighted the significance of maintaining patience while playing Test cricket in Pakistan’s conditions.

“I don’t know what sort of wicket we will get for the second Test. I don’t know how much the plan will change. This is a country where you have to be patient in Test matches,” the Bangladesh coach stated.

“I don’t see the plans changing too much from the blueprint of the previous game. The plans could change if they (Pakistan) change their playing XI.”

Adams was questioned about Bangladesh’s specific strategy for Pakistan’s batters. While he chose not to disclose the team’s plan, he did speak highly of Babar and Rizwan, recognizing the challenge they present.

“I can’t share the plan (laughs). Obviously, Babar [Azam] is a great player and you have to be clear about what you want to do to get him out early,” said Adams.

“You have to pay attention to guys like Babar and (Mohammad) Rizwan, who can take the game away from you.”

It’s worth noting that Babar had a forgettable first Test as he bagged a duck in the first innings, followed by a 22-run knock in the second innings.

Meanwhile, Rizwan showcased his exceptional batting skills by scoring a remarkable 171 runs in the first innings and then backing it up with a resilient half-century in the second innings.

READ: PCB announces free entry for students in the second Pakistan-Bangladesh Test

Indian umpire Anil Choudhary recently criticized Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan for his frequent and aggressive appeals during matches.

Choudhary during a recent appearance on the “2 Sloggers” podcast on YouTube, shared his experience of encountering Rizwan during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023.

The Indian umpire expressed that he discussed with his fellow on-field umpire the issue of Rizwan making frequent appeals on almost every ball, which was putting pressure on the umpires.

“I encountered him [Mohammad Rizwan] in last year’s Asia Cup. He keeps shouting on every ball. I even notified the other umpire about what Rizwan was doing,” said Anil Choudhary.

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“There was a moment when the other umpire was close to obliging to his appeal but he suddenly recalled my words and turned it down. Isn’t he the one who puts something like a lipstick? He keeps jumping like a pigeon,” he added.

Choudhary also cautioned all the wicketkeepers to refrain from making false appeals, as seasoned umpires are adept at identifying such tactics aimed at pressuring them.

“But the good umpires are wise enough to judge such acts. When the umpires are good, such keepers are losers,” stated the Indian umpire.

“So all the keepers who are listening to me must be aware that making false appeals won’t work. Otherwise, they might find themselves at the receiving end despite making a genuine call,” he warned.

“It’s a technology-driven era where you can watch everything on the screen. Why to make fun of yourself with such acts,” he concluded.

READ: Pakistan Shaheens squad named for 50-over matches against Bangladesh A

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel defended the decision to declare the innings while Mohammad Rizwan was nearing his maiden double-century on the second day of the opening Test against Bangladesh.

Rizwan missed out on a well-deserved double-century as Pakistan declared their first innings at 448/6.

He remained the top-scorer for the home side with an unbeaten 171 off 239 deliveries, laced up with 11 fours and three sixes, followed by Saud, who scored 141 with the help of nine boundaries.

Many fans raised their concern over social media regarding the timing of the declaration, however, Saud defended the decision. He explained that Rizwan was informed about the decision an hour before it was made.

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“As far as Rizwan bhai’s double century is concerned, I don’t think the decision to declare was rushed,” Shakeel stated.

“Rizwan bhai was informed about an hour before that we would be declaring at this point. He knew our target was to approach 450 runs before declaring.”

With his monumental knock, the 32-year-old Rizwan joined the elite group of Pakistani wicketkeepers who crossed the 150-run mark in Test cricket, which includes Imtiaz Ahmed, Taslim Arif, Rashid Latif, and Kamran Akmal.

This marks the first time since 2009 that a wicketkeeper-batsman from Pakistan has scored 150 runs in a single Test match.

READ: PCB announces free entry for remainder of first Pakistan-Bangladesh Test

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi heaped praise on Mohammad Rizwan for his unbeaten 171-run knock in the first innings of the opening Test against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Mohsin Naqvi lauded Mohammad Rizwan and asserted that the latter has proven himself as an asset for the Pakistan Test side.

“What an unstoppable force Muhammad Rizwan has proven to be in the Test Match today! Congratulations to him for scoring 150 runs with the help of 9 Fours and 3 Sixes! He has surely proven himself to be an asset for Test Cricket in Pakistan.

“What a treat to watch! Hoping to see his performance elevate in the coming matches as well, he has surely made Pakistani Cricket Fans proud,” he added.

Notably, Mohammad Rizwan missed out on a well-deserved double century as Pakistan declared their first innings at 448/6.

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He remained the top-scorer for the home side with an unbeaten 171 off 239 deliveries, laced up with 11 fours and three sixes, followed by Saud Shakeel, who scored 141 with the help of nine boundaries.

With his monumental knock, the 32-year-old joined the elite group of Pakistani wicketkeepers who crossed the 150-run mark in Test cricket, which includes Imtiaz Ahmed, Taslim Arif, Rashid Latif, and Kamran Akmal.

This marks the first time since 2009 that a wicketkeeper-batsman from Pakistan has scored 150 runs in a single Test match.

Mohammad Rizwan started day two with 24 runs, however, he and Saud Shakeel dominated two sessions with a 240-run stand before Mehidy Hasan Miraz removed the latter.

Notably, the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) and will run from August 21 to September 4 with both matches to be played at the same venue.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali.

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana.

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