Mohammad Rizwan: “We gave him a specific role [in second half of the PSL] where he performed exceedingly well but keeping in mind the caliber of Sohaib Maqsood, I think he can adjust at any position”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan said big-hitter Sohaib Maqsood is a very adaptable batsman as he can bat at any position.
Maqsood proved this during the recently-concluded edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he played alongside Rizwan for the Multan Sultans.
Initialy, Maqsood was batting at number five or six, but he was promoted to the number three spot during the Abu Dhabi leg of the tournament.
Maqsood ended up finishing as the third-highest run-scorer in the PSL with 428 runs in 12 games, which included five half-centuries, at an average of 47.55 and a strike-rate of 156.77.
“Sohaib Maqsood has played and performed well at position five and six in the first half of PSL, in Karachi, and domestic cricket as well,” Rizwan was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“We gave him a specific role [in second half of the PSL] where he performed exceedingly well but keeping in mind the caliber of Sohaib Maqsood, I think he can adjust at any position.”
In the first ODI against England, Maqsood made his international comeback and scored 19 runs as Pakistan slumped to a nine-wicket defeat.
Pakistan will play three ODIs and three T20 Internationals against England. The ODI series began on July 8 and will conclude on July 13, while the T20 series will be held from July 16 to 20.
They will then tour the West Indies and play 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