Sohaib Maqsood: “Rizwan can be successful only opening the innings”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Sohaib Maqsood believes limited overs captain Mohammad Rizwan can only be successful as an opener in T20I cricket.
Rizwan has been opening the batting in the shortest format for a couple of years and has done extremely well, scoring 3,414 runs in 106 matches, which includes a century and 30 fifties, at an average of 47.41 and a strike-rate of 125.37.
Despite having performed regularly, the 32-year-old often finds himself being criticised for batting too slow and putting unnecessary pressure on the middle order.
Nonetheless, Maqsood insisted that the Peshawar native must keep opening the batting going forward as it is the best position for him to bat.
“Rizwan can be successful only opening the innings,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
During Pakistan’s T20I series against Australia, Rizwan made 16 runs in two games at an average of eight.
He was then rested for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, but returned for the T20Is against South Africa and finished with 85 runs in two matches, which included a top score of 74, at an average of 42.50.
Pakistan and South Africa just concluded a two-Test series, which the Proteas won 2-0.
Rizwan ended up making 117 runs at an average of 29.25.
Pakistan Squad for South Africa T20I Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha
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