Mohammed Rizwan had been playing for a long time, but it was his partnership alongside Babar Azam that changed his life. It was the T20 World Cup 2021 and Rizwan and Babar shared an unbeaten 152-run stand to beat India by a margin of ten wickets. Not only the margin made it better, the win was even more special as the losing team was arch-rivals India.
Also Read: Jaydev Unadkat Arrives in Chattogram, Team India Says ‘Welcome Back’
Although Rizwan was part of the losing side against England in Multan, it didn’t discourage him to go back and revisit that day when he played his part in Dubai. He also recalled how shopkeepers in Pakistan wouldn’t charge him for playing that phenomenal knock.
“When we won against India, that time, I thought it was only a match for me. It was because we won that game easily. But when I came to Pakistan, I realised how much it meant. Whenever I went to a shop, they won’t take money from me. They would say, ‘you go, you go. I won’t take money from you!’” Rizwan told Mike Atherton on Sky Sports.
Chasing 152 runs, Rizwan hammered 79 off 55 balls even as Babar Azam played the second fiddle. Pakistan romped home with more than two overs to spare.
Also Read: Kane Williamson Steps Down As New Zealand Test Skipper, Tim Southee Named Successor
“People would say, ‘everything is free for you here’. This is the love from all of Pakistan after that match,” said Rizwan.
Nevertheless, Rizwan couldn’t help Pakistan beat England as the hosts slumped to back-to-back losses in the three-match series. They are all set to play the dead rubber in Karachi after having lost the series already.
Skipper Ben Stokes hailed England’s Test series win in Pakistan Monday as “massive”, as the team’s new-found aggressive approach continues to pay dividends.
FIFA World Cup 2022 Points Table | FIFA World Cup 2022 Schedule | FIFA World Cup 2022 Results | FIFA World Cup 2022 Golden Boot
England beat Pakistan by 26 runs in the second Test — following their 74-run victory in the first encounter in Rawalpindi — to wrap up the series even before this week’s final match in Karachi.
Both games came on the back of aggressive batting dubbed “Bazball”, after the nickname of new coach Brendon “Baz” McCullum who has transformed the team since taking over in May.
Get the latest Cricket News, Schedule and Cricket Live Scores here