Tag: Mohammad Rizwan

  • Shaheen Afridi climbs to third spot in Tests, Babar Azam loses top rank

    Shaheen Afridi climbs to third spot in Tests, Babar Azam loses top rank

    In the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Dawid Malan is back to number one among batters with Pakistan captain Babar Azam unable to hold on to the top spot after two matches of their series against the West Indies.

    Shaheen headlines the bowling rankings in the latest weekly update for men, which is carried out on Wednesdays and includes the second Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan, which Pakistan won by an innings and eight runs to clinch full ICC World Test Championship points from the series.

    Shaheen has continued his climb with three wickets in the match while off-spinner Sajid Khan has zoomed up 52 places to 49th after a 12-wicket haul that won him the Player of the Match award. Mohammad Rizwan (up five places to 18th) and Fawad Alam (up seven places to 20th) have moved up in the batters’ list after their useful half-centuries.

    In the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Dawid Malan is back to number one among batters with Pakistan captain Babar Azam unable to hold on to the top spot after two matches of their series against the West Indies. He moves to number 3 while Mohammad Rizwan has retained his fourth spot.

    Pakistan’s Haider Ali has gained 86 slots to reach 98th position after scores of 68 and 31 while the rankings for bowlers see spinner Shadab Khan back in the top 10, moving up five slots to ninth position.

    Fast bowler Haris Rauf is up three places to 19th while Mohammad Nawaz has gained 29 slots to reach 54th position. For the West Indies, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosen has gained 73 slots and is now 68th among bowlers.

    Team Pakistan has won two out of three matches in the three-match T20I series with West Indies in Karachi. Babar has scored 0 and 7 runs in both the matches respectively. While the Men in Green are set to play their third and final match against the Windies tomorrow (Thursday) in National Stadium Karachi.

  • Muhammad Rizwan moves up, leaving KL Rahul behind in ICC men’s T20I rankings

    Muhammad Rizwan moves up, leaving KL Rahul behind in ICC men’s T20I rankings

    Pakistan’s wicket keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan’s outstanding performance in the three-match series against Bangladesh has lifted him another place to 4th position in the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings.

    The opener has left Indian cricketer KL Rahul behind, who is now standing at number 5th position.

    Pakistan’s captain and star player Babar Azam retained the top position in the list and still stands the best batsman in the world in 20-overs cricket format with 809 points followed by Englands’s Dawid Malan and Proteas player Aiden Markram.

    Fakhar Zaman also moves up from 40th to 35th while, pacer Hassan Ali has advanced 16 spots to Number 44 and Shadab Khan has climbed two spots to Number 14.

    Earlier, Babar Azam and Rizwan surpassed India’s Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan to become the duo with the most century partnerships in T20I cricket.

  • A clean sweep, Pakistan wins a thriller against Bangladesh

    A clean sweep, Pakistan wins a thriller against Bangladesh

    Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series in Dhaka on Monday through a clean sweep. Set 125 to win, Mohammad Nawaz sealed the deal with a boundary off the final delivery at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

    Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad (3-10) claimed three wickets in the final over. Haider Ali top-scored with 45 off 38 balls. Mohammad Wasim (2-15) and Usman Qadir (2-35) earlier claimed two wickets each for Pakistan.

    Opener Mohammad Naim top-scored with 47 off 50 balls for Bangladesh while Shamim Hossain and Afif Hossain added 22 and 20 runs respectively.

    Pakistan won the first two matches by four wickets and eight wickets respectively.

    Pakistan needed 8 from three balls and suddenly, it looked like Bangladesh can pull this off. Iftikhar’s hit brought Pakistan back before Nawaz sealed it with a four off the last ball after two non-balls.

    Haider Ali was declared Player of the Match after scoring the top runs. While Mohammad Rizwan is the Player of the Series.

    “The way everyone has put in the efforts, credit goes to the players. You can always improve. Like our fielding has improved, our middle order has won games for us. Whatever mistakes we made, we want to make sure we don’t repeat them in the upcoming games. We want to carry this momentum into the Test matches. I want to thank the fans here,” said skipper Babar Azam in the post-match ceremony.

  • Pakistan wins T20 series in Bangladesh

    Pakistan wins T20 series in Bangladesh

    The Pakistan cricket team has won the T20 series in Bangladesh in a 109-run chase as Pakistan won the second T20I by eight wickets to secure a 2-0 series win with one match of the three-match T20I series to spare against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium Mirpur, Dhaka on Saturday.

    Player of the match Fakhar Zaman who scored 34 runs in yesterday’s four-wicket win at the same venue, top-scored with a blazing unbeaten 57 off 51 balls while Mohammad Rizwan contributed 39 off 45 balls as Pakistan went past the target in the 19th over with 11 balls to spare.

    Fakhar finished the match in the company of Haider Ali. Rizwan and Fakhar added 85 for the second-wicket after the tourists lost captain and opener Babar Azam for one in the third over of the innings.

    Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first scoring 108 runs.

    For Pakistan, Shaheen and Shadab took two wickets each, Wasim, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz took a wicket apiece.

    The third and final match of the series will be played at the same venue on Monday, 22 November.

  • Mohammad Rizwan praises young boy for making an ‘incredible’ sketch

    Mohammad Rizwan praises young boy for making an ‘incredible’ sketch

    Pakistan’s wicket keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has praised a boy from Gilgit Baltistan who made a sketch of him. While sharing the sketch on his own Instagram, the cricketer said that it is “incredible”.

    “Farhan Ali Macholvi, this is incredible. Thank you so much for your love & support. You are the pride of our Gilgit-Baltistan,” he wrote.

    The cricketer further said that the children are the assets of this nation and they will make Pakistan strong.

    “I strongly believe that our real assets are children. They will build a strong Pakistan. May you keep doing what you love.”

    The sketch shows Rizwan in the team’s green jersey, waving at fans, as he walks by with a bat tucked under his arm, helmet in hand.

    The 29-year-old cricketer won hearts of Pakistani fans with his prolific performance at the T20 World Cup 2021. He scored 281 runs in his six innings at the tournament while scoring a half century in his first ICC semi-final of his career.

    Rizwan became the first player in the history of the game to score 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year.

  • ‘Was breathless’: Mohammad Rizwan talks about health, pillow he carries

    ‘Was breathless’: Mohammad Rizwan talks about health, pillow he carries

    Pakistan’s wicket keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, who was exceptionally good at the T20 World Cup and scored 281 runs off his 6 innings, has recently talked about his health during the tournament in a media interaction on Monday.

    The record holder batter reportedly developed a severe chest infection just before the T20 World Cup semi-final. He narrated his journey from the hotel to the hospital and then to the cricket ground.

    Rizwan said that though he had told his family in the hotel that he is just going to have an ECG done downstairs to keep them calm, he had lost his breath by the time he reached the hospital.

    “My condition was not good,” said Rizwan. He said that the doctors told him that both his oesophagus and respiratory tract were blocked. The cricketer added that he cannot even recall their names.

    “They were not telling me anything and saying that I will get well by the morning,” said Rizwan.

    “The next afternoon, they told me that I will get discharged [from the hospital] by the evening.”

    The cricketer said at this point, he asked a nurse about his condition and she told him that “both his oesophagus and the reparatory tube would have burst if he got 20 minutes late” in reaching the hospital.

    The nurse told Rizwan that he would have to remain hospitalised as long as the doctors would advise.

    Rizwan said that the medical team performed different kinds of tests but he kept himself convinced that “this test or that test would make him better”.

    He said that the doctor told him that he wants him [Rizwan] to play the semi-final for Pakistan.

    “This gave me a boost,” said Rizwan, adding that one encouragement from the doctors made him take two steps towards the recovery.

    Rizwan said he was a bit “dismayed when the doctor told him that his condition was not stable enough for him to play”.

    Rizwan said that he missed few sessions of practice in Dhaka for the upcoming series with Bangladesh. But he shared that he will be going to the practice sessions after the rest he was advised by the doctors.

    While talking about his pillow, the 29-year-old said that this is a medicated pillow and a wicket-keeper always has a neck issue because of the keeping and batting as well. “I was referred this medicated pillow to tackle the stiffness due to the exertion.”

    He added: “It helps me a lot. When you are recovering, sleep is very much important and that is why I carry the pillow with me. It is spotted with me because I don’t want to miss it for even one night and send it with the bags.”

    “I just carry it with myself in my hands so I recover with its help to play the matches.”

    Playing in the first ICC semi-final of his career, Rizwan became the first player in the history of the game to score 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year.

    Rizwan scored a half-century against Australia in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup. He was also the the third highest scorer of the tournament.

    Rizwan is included in the squad of Test matches and T20Is against Bangladesh, which is set to start from November 19.

  • Transnational celebrities cheer Mohammad Rizwan for impressive performance in T20

    Transnational celebrities cheer Mohammad Rizwan for impressive performance in T20

    Transnational celebrities took to social media to praise Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Rizwan for his incredible performance in the T20 World Cup series, especially the semi final match against Australia.

    Pakistan lost in the semi-final clash against Australia, however, the national team was praised by millions of Pakistanis at home, and abroad, for their fighting spirit throughout the tournament. 

    Rizwan played a sensational innings of 67 runs in a high-pressure semi-final against Australia in Dubai on Thursday.

    Mohammad Rizwan spent two nights in a Dubai hospital in its Intensive Care Unit for a chest infection.

    This combination photo shows Mohammad Rizwan during his stay in the hospital (L) and in the semi-final match against Australia in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday (R). — Photo via Shoaib Akhtar Twitter/AFP

    Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar referred to Rizwan as a “hero” while batting consultant Matthew Hayden called him a “warrior” for his never-say-die attitude.

    Indian actor Aly Goni took to his instagram stories to praise Rizwan for his batting skills.

    Singer Momina Mustehsan tweeted in support of the ace athlete after the match.

    Actor Amna Karim exclusively told The Current that she is impressed by Rizwan’s performance the most and that she sees him achieving greater goals in the forthcoming tournaments.

    “I was in Dubai for property Expo 2021, hence I went to the stadium to watch the match and was impressed by Rizwan.”

    Beautiful Girls of Asia: Amna Karim

    After the innings, Matthew Hayden revealed just how special a performance it was from Rizwan.

    “Rizwan, you probably didn’t know was actually in hospital just a night ago suffering with some sort of lung condition. This is a warrior,” Hayden said.

    “He has been brilliant through it (the campaign) and he’s got great courage, as has Babar. Fantastic tonight from him.”

  • ‘That’s the spirit’: President Alvi praises Mohammad Rizwan for his performance despite bad health

    ‘That’s the spirit’: President Alvi praises Mohammad Rizwan for his performance despite bad health

    President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi has praised Mohammad Rizwan for his outclass performance in the semi-final against Australia despite the fact that he was was not well and admitted in hospital for two days before the match.

    Taking to Twitter, President Alvi wrote: “That’s the spirit. This is symbolic of the emerging ‘Brand Pakistan’. And my friends it is the new Pakistan.”

    Rizwan scored a half-century against Australia in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup, beating captain Babar Azam. He became the player who scored a thousand runs in the calendar year.

    He also broke the record of England’s Jos Buttler, who had just set it for the most runs by a keeper in a Men’s T20 World Cup. Buttler broke Craig Kieswetter’s record from 2010 in this year’s edition, had scored 269 runs to his name before England crashed out Thursday night in the semi-final.

  • ‘No one should point fingers, I back everyone’: Babar Azam talks to team after losing semi-final

    ‘No one should point fingers, I back everyone’: Babar Azam talks to team after losing semi-final

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam has given a pep-talk to the team in the dressing-room after they lost the semi-final to Australia in Dubai on Thursday. The young captain stressed it’s important to not point fingers at each other and that the entire team failed to play up to its potential in the heartbreaking loss on Thursday.

    Read More – Hayden lauds ‘warrior’ Rizwan, who was in hospital the night before Pak-Aus match

    Talking about unity in the team, Babar said: “Everybody is sad, everybody is feeling the pain. We need to figure out where we went wrong and where we have to improve. No one will tell us this, we all know this. But we have to learn from this.”

    “We have created a unit at the World Cup and this shouldn’t break. There should be no finger-pointing. We should not go into saying ‘he did this, he did this and all that’. We, as a team, did not play well. No one should point fingers at any other person.”

    “We lost, it’s okay but we have to learn from this. We will. In the times to come, we shouldn’t make the same mistakes,” added the captain.

    “I am telling you again, we shouldn’t let the unit break. We have worked hard to create this. One loss shouldn’t force anyone to leave this unit. As a captain, I am backing everyone. We have created a very good atmosphere in the dressing room, one that feels like family. Everyone has put in the effort. Every match, every player has taken up responsibility,” said Babar.

    “We will put in the effort, that is in our hands but the result is not. I know everyone is sad. But this will last for a short while. We will start thinking about where we went wrong and where we should have improved. Don’t get bogged down. Try lifting each other. Learn, there is a bit of sadness but we have to overcome that,” Babar concluded.

    Pakistan posted 176 runs for the loss of 4 wickets on the board in their quota of 20 overs, thanks to fifties from Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman. However, defending a total in Dubai proved difficult yet again as Pakistan paid the price for some ordinary effort with the ball and on the field.

    Australia will face New Zealand in the final of the T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday

  • Hayden lauds ‘warrior’ Rizwan, who was in hospital the night before Pak-Aus match

    Hayden lauds ‘warrior’ Rizwan, who was in hospital the night before Pak-Aus match

    Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan played a sensational innings of 67 runs in a high-pressure semi-final against Australia in Dubai on Thursday.

    Ahead of the semi-final, Rizwan’s availability for the big game against Australia was in doubt due to illness.

    Thankfully for Pakistan, he was declared fit and made a massive impact after being put in to bat first by the opponents.

    After the innings, Matthew Hayden revealed just how special a performance it was from Rizwan.

    “Rizwan, you probably didn’t know was actually in hospital just a night ago suffering with some sort of lung condition. This is a warrior,” Hayden said.

    “He has been brilliant through it (the campaign) and he’s got great courage, as has Babar. Fantastic tonight from him.”

    Rizwan struggled initially to find his touch, but Babar Azam at the other end kept the scoreboard ticking. Soon, Rizwan got going after smacking Josh Hazlewood for a six in the fourth over.

    Once Babar was dismissed, he ensured that he batted as deep into the innings as possible, keeping one end tight till the 18th over. Thanks to some fiery shots by Fakhar Zaman in the end, Pakistan set a target of 177 for Australia to chase down.

    Playing in the first ICC semi-final of his career, Rizwan made his night even more memorable. En route his 67, he also became the first player in the history of the game to score 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year.

    He also broke the record England’s Jos Buttler had just set for the most runs by a keeper in a Men’s T20 World Cup. Buttler, who broke Craig Kieswetter’s record from 2010 in this year’s edition, had scored 269 runs to his name before England crashed out last night in the semi-final.

    Rizwan now has 281 and is only behind his fellow opener Babar Azam for most runs in this year’s T20 World Cup.

    Fellow cricketers and people from the cricket fraternity took to their social media to praise the 29-year-old cricketer.

    Meanwhile, Matthew Wade commended his batting partner Marcus Stoinis for the way he took on Haris Rauf in the 17th over and said that was indeed the turning point of the match. The slog overs also saw Hassan Ali dropping Wade off Shaheen Afridi in the 19th over, with the keeper-batter cracking the next three balls for sixes to seal their spot in the final.