Michael Atherton: “Rizwan looks like a battler, somebody who you want in your corner in a tight situation and I thought he played very well. He’s not afraid to play some shots when needed”
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Former England captain Michael Atherton believes that Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan is fearless and “looks like a battler”.
Atherton’s praise comes after Rizwan fought valiantly on the second day of the second Test against England in Southampton, which was curtailed by rain and bad light.
Rizwan scored an unbeaten 60, which came off 116 balls and included five boundaries. As a result of it, Pakistan finished on 223/9.
Atherton noted that Rizwan was “not afraid to play some shots when needed”, but was smart enough to control “his aggression in the early stages of his innings”.
Mike Atherton "Rizwan looks like a battler, somebody who you want in your corner in a tight situation & I thought he played very well. He’s not afraid to play some shots when needed, but he also tempered his aggression in the early stages of his innings" #ENGvPAK #Cricket
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) August 15, 2020
Mike Atherton "Mohammad Rizwan also kept wicket beautifully at Old Trafford and really outshone England’s keeper Jos Buttler up there in very different conditions, standing up to the spinners and standing up to Mohammad Abbas" #ENGvPAK #Cricket
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) August 15, 2020
“Rizwan looks like a battler, somebody who you want in your corner in a tight situation and I thought he played very well. He’s not afraid to play some shots when needed, but he also tempered his aggression in the early stages of his innings,” Atherton was quoted as saying by Saj Sadiq on Twitter.
Atherton also praised Rizwan for the way he kept in the first Test in Manchester and was particularly impressed with the fact that he stood up to the stumps when keeping against Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas.
“Mohammad Rizwan also kept wicket beautifully at Old Trafford and really outshone England’s keeper Jos Buttler up there in very different conditions, standing up to the spinners and standing up to Mohammad Abbas,” Atherton said.
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