Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan: “Praise from Zaheer bhai is very special for me. It has given me a boost in motivation to work even harder and continue to meet his expectations”
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Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman and Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan said the praise he received from legendary cricketer Zaheer Abbas has motivated him to work even harder.
Abbas said he didn’t expect Rizwan’s batting to improve so drastically in such a short period of time.
“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,” he had said.
Rizwan was in awe after being lauded by Abbas and vowed to put in the hard yards to “continue to meet his expectations”.
“This is the first time I’m hearing this. I didn’t know what Zaheer bhai had said because I hardly use social media,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
“I don’t know how to describe my feelings on this. Praise from Zaheer bhai is very special for me. It has given me a boost in motivation to work even harder and continue to meet his expectations.”
His comments come ahead of the resumption of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Abu Dhabi from June 9 to 24.
The Sultans currently sit in fifth place on the standings as they have won just one of their five games.
Rizwan was the top run-scorer prior to the PSL’s postponement earlier this year with 297 runs in five matches, which included three half-centuries, at an average of 59.40 and a strike-rate of 140.09.
Ahead of the restart, Rizwan has been in red-hot form for Pakistan 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 29-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.
The Sultans will be in action on June 10 when they take on the Karachi Kings, who are the defending champions.