Rizwan Quips "Average Players Look At Average", Drops 'Kohli' Reference

Mohammad Rizwan is one of the best talents to emerge from Pakistan in recent times. Together with Babar Azam, Mohammd Rizwan has often been considered the best Pakistan batters of the current generation. Over the past couple of years, Babar and Rizwan’s partnership has proved to be key for Pakistan. However, following Babar’s decision to step down as captain, the team has gone through a host of changes on and off-the-field. The new opening partnership of Saim Ayub and Rizwan hasn’t worked out well from the team.

In recent interview, Rizwan was asked about how he adjusts between T20I and ODI.  

“Firstly the teams that you are representing keep that [role] in front and if you think of yourself in that case… like players who think like let me save myself, he won’t go far. Those players who look at averages are average players. If someone is performing it will be there in the stats for people to see, like say India’s Virat Kohli, he is getting his average higher but he is not focusing on that because average players looks at average and big players will look at the team and the situation and my focus remains on what is the requirement of the team. The team says Rizwan look at board and play accordingly. I maintain the same thing in my own life too but it is not easy. In T20 playing the new ball and in ODI go after 25 overs when the ball is a bit old that is not easy and it is a mind game,” Rizwan told Cricbuzz.

Rizwan also opened up on Shaheen Afridi as the new T20I captain for Pakistan.

“He [Shaheen Afridi] is a very good captain and I have seen him in Lahore Qalandars and other teams where I was his teammate and he is that kind of a player who neither loses his heart nor courage till the end of a game. In the recent past against New Zealand, we scored 228, 220 and we lost the match. And in the last game we made about 135 runs and it looked like they will chase it down in 12 overs. But when Shaheen came down to the huddle he said that we have to win this game and show this world. And this is a unique quality that he possess that he does not lose his courage at any stage of his game,” he said..