Wasim Akram: “Rizwan was a captain in a domestic T20 side, he started as an opener and performed well for Pakistan as well”
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Pakistan great Wasim Akram said wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan should continue opening the batting as he is suited for that particular role.
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.
Rizwan was also the top run-scorer prior to the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) postponement earlier this year with 297 runs in five matches for the Multan Sultans, which included three half-centuries, at an average of 59.40 and a strike-rate of 140.09.
The tournament is set to resume in Abu Dhabi from June 9 to 24.
The Sultans, who Rizwan captains, currently sit in fifth place on the standings as they have won just one of their five games.
“Rizwan was a captain in a domestic T20 side, he started as an opener and performed well for Pakistan as well,” Wasim told Cricket Pakistan. “But your batting order has been completely shuffled. Your opener is coming in at number three, the number three player is coming in at five, and so the combination has been scrambled.
“This is why we are getting stuck on 140 to 150 runs. There is no consistency. We have some big matches coming up. There is a big series against England on the horizon. We should have had a stable top six batting line-up until now. We still don’t know who the top six are in Pakistan’s T20 lineup. We know four but not six.”
The Sultans will be in action on June 10 when they take on the Karachi Kings, who are the defending champions.