Zaheer Abbas: “Mohammad Rizwan has been batting really well. I didn’t expect him to improve his batting, in such a manner, in international cricket all of a sudden”

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Pakistan great Zaheer Abbas admitted that he didn’t expect wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan to improve his batting this much.

Abbas’ comments come after Rizwan has been in red-hot form as of late and did extremely well during the recent tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

He amassed 42 runs in the three-match ODI series against against South Africa at an average of 14.

However, the 28-year-old turned thing around with 147 runs, which included two half-centuries, in the four-match T20 series at an average of 73.50 and a strike-rate of 147.

He continued to shine in the three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe as he amassed 186 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 186 and a strike-rate of 133.81.

In the two-Test series, he made 66 runs at an average of 33.

“I watched the matches against South Africa and I can happily say that the Pakistan team is steadily rising in stature,” Abbas told Cricket Pakistan.

“Mohammad Rizwan has been batting really well. I didn’t expect him to improve his batting, in such a manner, in international cricket all of a sudden. Thankfully, we now have someone other than Babar who can support the batting department.

“If we can get two or three more batsmen like Rizwan and Babar, then our team will become one of the best in the world.”

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