Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter has heaped praise on skipper Babar Azam following hosts registering 3-0 triumph over West Indies in the three-match T20I series at home.
Mohammad Rizwan put up a 158-run opening stand with Babar Azam while chasing 208 runs in the third and final T20I. The 29-year-old, who believes the skipper’s presence at the crease gives him a great sense of stability, emphasized that communication was key to their partnership.
Mohammad Rizwan Credits Captain And Management For Pushing Him As An Opener In 2021
Mohammad Rizwan said: “When you have the World No.1 batter with you at the crease, you needn’t worry about anything. All you’ve got to do is to observe and learn from the best. The key to our successful partnership is our communication. We keep taking singles, keep setting targets, target some fielders, which in turn makes it easier for us to dominate.”
Mohammad Rizwan finished 2021 as the leading run-scorer in T20Is with 1,326 runs in 29 matches at an average of nearly 74. He also became the first cricketer to muster over 2,000 T20 runs (2,036 runs) in a calendar year. The right-hander credited Pakistan’s team management and Babar Azam for his successful year.
“I wouldn’t want to take the credit for this. I would give the credit to the management and the captain who pushed me up the batting order and helped me perform the whole year.”
Babar Azam Credited Pakistan Team For Their Successful Run In T20Is In 2021
Babar Azam also showered praise on his opening partner.
Calling him a wonderful human being and speaking about the way Mohammad Rizwan has improved his game, Babar said: “According to me, I’m privileged to have such a talented cricketer, a wonderful human being, someone who gels everyone together and someone who is looked up to by everyone.”
“The way Rizwan improved his game, confidence levels and belief in himself is evident for everyone to see in the last one year. I’m happy that he is the leading T20I run-scorer in 2021.”
Babar Azam led Pakistan to their 20th win in T20Is this year, the most wins in a calendar year for any captain.
He credited the entire team for the success and noted: “The credit goes to the team and the players for their efforts, and believing in themselves. Communication and backing the players has been quite helpful for us. Every player in our dressing room is a match-winner.”
Babar Azam has scored 939 runs in 29 T20I games at an average close to 38 this year. The century-run stand between the Pakistan skipper and keeper was also their sixth as a T20I pair, the most by a combination, as they went past the Indian pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, who have five such scores to their name.
Asif Ali added the finishing touches with his incredible seven-ball 21 as Pakistan completed their highest successful T20I chase to script a 3-0 whitewash over the Windies.
3rd T20I:- Pakistan 208 for 3 (Rizwan 87, Babar 79, Smith 1-34) beat West Indies 207 for 3 (Pooran 64, Brooks 49, King 43, Wasim 2-44) by seven wickets
2nd T20I:- Pakistan 172 for 8 (Rizwan 38, Haider 31, Shadab 28*, Odean 2-24) beat West Indies 163 (King 67, Shepherd 35*, Afridi 3-26, Nawaz 2-36) by 9 runs
1st T20I:- Pakistan 200 for 6 (Rizwan 78, Haider 68, Nawaz 30*, Hosein 1-19) beat West Indies 137 (Hope 31, Odean 24, Wasim 4-40, Shadab 3-17) by 63 runs