Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan thanked the spectators for their fervent support, saying it made him feel like he was batting in Rawalpindi rather than Hyderabad. The Pakistan players have been in the city for nearly two weeks and have been pleased with the reception they have received in India.
The lack of Pakistani fans owing to visa concerns may have appeared unusual to the Pakistani players, but they got enthusiastic support from the Hyderabad audience. Every stroke Mohammad Rizwan made was met with thunderous applause.
The loud cheers when Babar Azam walked the field to bat in the game may have been the most memorable event of the evening.
Speaking to the media, Mohammad Rizwan was happy with the support they received for the game against Sri Lanka, stating that they felt more like playing in front of the Rawalpindi crowd and said that the team is grateful for the support that both the teams received for a good cricket match.
“I felt like I was playing in front of the Rawalpindi crowd; our ground in Lahore is big, and a lot of people come there. This ground felt like Rawalpindi, The way the crowd showed love today, and not just for me but for the whole Pakistan team, and they even supported Sri Lanka.
“I am happy that the crowd in Hyderabad has supported cricket, both Sri Lanka and us. I had a lot of fun with them,” Mohammad Rizwan said.
Social media has been flooded with images and videos documenting the gracious hospitality shown to the Pakistani players since they landed in Hyderabad. Many Pakistan players expressed their love for the city through various mediums and they would next move to Ahmedabad for the next game against arch-rivals India on Saturday.
Abdullah Shafique Made It Easy For Us To Chase The Score – Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan admitted that the team were under pressure when they lost two quick wickets in the game and said that they wanted to rebuild the innings in the game before taking on the bowlers and lauded the young Abdullah Shafique for a calm and composed knock against Sri Lanka.
“Unfortunately, 2 wickets fell early in the chase, and there was pressure. Abdullah Shafique and I had it in our minds that we would score at least 100 in 20 overs or somehow get ourselves to 100. So when they attacked, and we were trying to take Sri Lanka deep and somehow put pressure back on them,”
“The way Abdullah built the innings in the beginning, the kind of shots he hit, made it easy for us to chase the score,” Mohammad Rizwan added.
Pakistan overcame a rough start, and the young Abdullah Shafique played only his fifth ODI game as he exhibited startling maturity. Along with Mohammad Rizwan, they helped Pakistan to come back into the game, with both scoring centuries in the game and Iftikhar Ahmed eventually hitting three fours to give Pakistan the victory.