Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan defended the inability of their top-order against Hong Kong in Sharjah, saying that the ball kept low as the pitch was sluggish.
Choosing to bowl first, Hong Kong had put Pakistan in a tough situation as they struggled to put runs on the board. In the first 10 overs, Pakistan were just 64 for 1.
Pakistan’s opener Babar Azam made only 9 runs off 8 balls as he was caught and bowled early in the 3rd over by off-spinner Ehsan Khan. By the 10th over, Mohammad Rizwan was batting on a run-a-ball 31 and number three batter Fakhar Zaman was batting on 21 from 22 balls. Pakistan seemed to be too slow in the match and it looked like they would settle for a below-par total.
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Rizwan, however, defended his side’s slow start against Hong Kong by saying that the ball was keeping low and they wanted to adjust to the conditions.
“Most important for us to adjust to the conditions even if it is T20 cricket. The ball was keeping low. We tried hitting, but it wasn’t coming off. Then we charged down, keeping in mind the ball was staying low,” he said.
While, Pakistan started slow but they shifted the gears after the tenth over. They finished with 193 runs on the board at the end of 20 overs, scoring 129 runs in their last 10 overs.
However, Ehsan once again got the break for Hong Kong as he dismissed Zaman in the 17th over. However, Rizwan carried on and remained unbeaten on 78 from 57 balls. Rizwan hit only one six and six boundaries but he made sure Pakistan were in control of their innings on a difficult pitch.
After Zaman’s dismissal, finishing touch to the innings was given by Shah as he provided late blitz for Pakistan with 5 sixes, four of which came in the last over itself. The 29-run last over helped Shah to remain unbeaten on 35 from just 15 balls.
So far in the Asia Cup 2022, Rizwan is the leading run-scorer at the end of the group stages with 121 runs in 2 matches. He had finished 2021 with 1,326 runs in T20I cricket and he also became the first man to score 2,000 runs in T20s in a calendar year.
He was the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in match against Zimbabwe and believes that being a senior player, he has to take responsibility.
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” I believe in hard work… Being a senior player, you have to take responsibility. You have to play according to the team, and there will be pressure,” he added.
Pakistan won their second group stage match by 155 runs as Hong Kong failed miserably in the chase. Their whole team bundled down at just 38 runs.
Now Pakistan will be seen in action against India in the much-anticipated match of the Super Four stage on Sunday (4th September).
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