Azhar Mahmood: “We were very fortunate to have the likes of Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan who set up the innings so well and provided the base for others to build upon”
Image courtesy of: Pakistan Super League
Multan Sultans bowling coach Azhar Mahmood said Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood provided a base for others to build on since they did well as the team’s opening duo.
Rizwan, who captained the Sultans, scored 500 runs in 12 matches, which included four half-centuries, at an average of 45.45 and a strike-rate of 127.87.
As for Masood, he made 209 runs in seven games, which included two fifties, at an average of 29.85 and a strike-rate of 142.17.
Thanks to their efforts at the top of the order, the Sultans won their first-ever PSL title.
“Whilst we had a side which had just seven batsmen and a tail which was more like that of a 90’s team, we were very fortunate to have the likes of Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan who set up the innings so well and provided the base for others to build upon,” Mahmood wrote in his blog for PakPassion.
Rizwan will now be preparing for the Pakistan’s tours of England and the West Indies, while Masood wasn’t picked.
Pakistan will play three ODIs and three T20 Internationals against England. The ODI series will begin on July 8 and conclude on July 13, while the T20 series will be held from July 16 to 20.
The tour of the West Indies will consist of five T20 Internationals and two Tests, with the T20 series getting underway on July 27 and ending on August 3.
As for the Test series, it will start on August 12 and conclude on August 24.
Pakistan Test Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dhani, Yasir Shah (subject to fitness) and Zahid Mahmood
Pakistan ODI Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Qadir
Pakistan T20 Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir