Written by: Shiraz Aslam
Posted on: March 07, 2024 | 
| 中文
Muhammad Rizwan plays a shot against India in the 2023 ODI World Cup
Whether it’s offering a prayer in the middle of the ground amid a sea of people, or appealing with unbridled excitement for a caught behind every second ball, Muhammad Rizwan has made it to the newsfeed a countless number of times.
A top-tier batsman with immeasurable charisma and tenacity, Rizwan has proved to be a great find for the Pakistan cricket team. The Peshawar native made his international debut nine years ago, but it wasn’t till the late 2020 that he consolidated his spot in the team. Despite accumulating runs on the domestic circuit and building up quite a resume, he often succumbed to former captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, in the tussle for the coveted wicket-keeper batsman’s spot.
Muhammad Rizwan plays a sweep shot, while Sarfraz Ahmed is behind the stumps
The only chances Rizwan received were when Sarfraz Ahmed was unavailable. Yet, he pounced and grabbed the opportunity every single time. The charismatic cricketer announced his entry with a number of impressive performances during Pakistan’s Test Series with England at Southampton. With a near-perfect record behind the stumps, a couple of half centuries propelled him above the struggling Sarfraz Ahmed.
Muhammad Rizwan's keeping has always been brilliant over the years
However, until then, only the hardcore cricket fans had been acquainted with Muhammad Rizwan’s prowess. The 31-year-old had not performed in any major international tournament, and was not too popular. He struck lucky when the crowds returned in 2021, following the coronavirus pandemic, for the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup that was hosted by Oman and United Arab Emirates. On October 24, 2021, Rizwan etched his name on the hearts of every Pakistani cricket enthusiast, when he made an unbeaten 152 runs partnership to secure a massive victory over their archival, India. It was an unbeaten 79 off 55 balls that were well-paced with Babar Azam’s 68. It propelled the green caps to a victory over the towering and imposing Indian squad. 152-0 remains a potent and all-too familiar memory to this day. This was the tip of the iceberg, because the Azam-Rizwan duo became the backbone of the team in the memorable World Cup campaign in late 2021.
Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam
During the tournament, Rizwan racked up 3 important half centuries as his team made it to the semi-finals, where their campaign ended in a heartbreaking defeat to Australia. The wicket-keeper batter had a smooth run behind the stumps, and finished the third top run-scorer, behind David Warner and his partner, Babar Azam.
2021 was indeed Muhammad Rizwan’s year and his ticket to superstardom. T20s weren’t thought to be his strength, since the slogging required for the game was largely missing from Rizwan’s natural brand of cricket. Yet, the captain of Multan Sultans proved all his doubters wrong. He established for himself that he could hit the white ball a long distance when needed. When boundaries were scarce, quick running between the wickets compensated and kept the scoreboard ticking. Rizwan adapted himself to the modern requirements, and his versatility, reliability and skill led him to amass the most runs by any player in a single calendar year in T20Is in 2021.
Rizwan plays a reverse sweep, while Afghanistan's Rehman Ullah Gurbaz is behind the stumps
The Pakistan Cricket team had converted its greatest weakness into a priceless asset. For years, the opening pair and the top-order had been a cause of concern for cricketing enthusiasts and experts. The ever-consistent duo of Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan provided the cure to this conundrum. Azam is often seen as the superior batter, but that shouldn’t take the spotlight away from Rizwan, whose grit, charisma and athleticism has proved an undeniable asset for the team.
Rizwan is a passionate figure, on and off the field, and has often echoed the grievances of many disgruntled Pakistani spectators. After knocking 131 runs to launch his team to a convincing victory over Sri Lanka in Hyderabad during the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, the star dedicated his match-winning innings to the people of Gaza, a victim of genocide by the Israeli army.
Muhammad Rizwan during his unbeaten century against Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup
The batter’s actions were met with international disapproval, particularly the Indian media took issue with Rizwan’s pro-Gaza statement. The native of Peshawar, had to suffer crude name-calling upon his return to the pavilion, during Pakistan’s clash with India in Ahmedabad. His fellow team members came out in support of the wicketkeeper batter’s words as they shared images of the Palestinian flag on their social media accounts. Indian media and the disrespectful catcalls were criticized later in the Western press.
Muhammad Rizwan will remain a central figure in Pakistan’s squad for the foreseeable future. It is impossible to imagine the current squad without him, and for a good reason too. He brings so much to the table, and is an undeniable asset to the team. Rizwan has exceeded all expectations and set the bar very high for other cricketers.
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