Kamran Akmal: “I have been saying for three or four years that the way he is playing will make the future very difficult. Modern-day cricket is moving at a rapid pace, and you must adapt”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has urged fellow wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan to adapt his approach in T20 cricket, warning that the future could otherwise be very difficult for him.
Rizwan was once Pakistan’s first-choice opener in the shortest format and enjoyed considerable success, but has since lost his place in the side, with his relatively low strike-rate often cited as a key factor.
Akmal noted that he has repeatedly advised the 33-year-old to adopt a more attacking style to keep pace with the evolving demands of the format, but suggested that his calls have largely gone unheeded.
“I have been saying for three or four years that the way he is playing will make the future very difficult. Modern-day cricket is moving at a rapid pace, and you must adapt,” he was quoted as saying by A Sports.
Rizwan captained Rawalpindiz in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL), but failed to have much of an impact as he made 204 runs in 10 matches at an average of 20.40 and a strike-rate of 116.57.
He was most recently involved in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Bangladesh and finished with 181 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 45.25.
Pakistan will return to action very soon as they are scheduled to face Australia in a three-match ODI series in Rawalpindi and Lahore from May 30 to June 4.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi