Showing posts with label Mohammad Rizwan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mohammad Rizwan. Show all posts
Thursday, November 10, 2022

Pakistan is into the T20 World Cup FINAL !!!


Posted by Q at Thursday, November 10, 2022 Pitched (10)
Can you believe it?

Rewind to a week ago and no one thought that in a week's time, Pakistan would be on the verge of a second T20 World Cup win. It still feels unbelievable that we are there, Pakistan's first T20 World Cup Final since 2009, but we are! 

I have so many thoughts about this World Cup that I am not really sure where to start. I may end up rambling. Let me try to break it down.


THE WORLD CUP OVERALL
It has been one hell of a ride for the past month, no less than a high thrill rollercoaster. It all started for me with the qualifiers when Namibia upset Sri Lanka on day 1!

I haven't missed a single match out of the 44 that have been played so far. I have woken up at odd hours, I have had sleepless nights, but I have been glued to the TV since 16th October. Matches missed due to office hours, I watched later in the day. I watched every single episode of The Pavilion too.

The cricket has been so damn good in this World Cup. Every single game from the qualifying stages was total paisa vasool entertainment.

I have witnessed some amazing cricket, surprising upsets, nail biting wins, heartbreaking losses, some great batting, a lot of great bowling, and simply awesome competition between bat and ball.

I don't remember a World Cup, especially a T20 one, where the fight between bat and ball has been this close, with neither form clearly dominating the other. With the exception of England's onslaught against India.

I guess this has a lot to do with Australian pitches and conditions. If it were not for odd timings of matches for us, I would want every World Cup to be played in Australia.

After Pakistan's shocking loss to Zimbabwe and a World Cup ouster in sight, I maintained that if one keeps emotions aside, this has been a rocking World Cup. Many unexpected results, very closely matched teams with most games ending in the final over, and just edge of the seat cricket!

That kept me hooked to all the matches even after Pakistan's losses in their first two matches.


PAKISTAN'S PERFORMANCE
They are a blockbuster team, aren't they? The drama that unfolds with Pakistan cricket at world tournaments is more thrilling and entertaining than any mega blockbuster movie.

We have all witnessed it over the past 30 years. Yes since 1992.

You all would have seen the similarities with the 1992 campaign that have been circulating on social media.

Sure there are similarities, but more than that I feel that tournaments where Pakistan reaches the knock out stage from a hopeless situation, are the ones that they go on to win.

EXHIBITS: 1992, 2009, 2017

And tournaments where they dominate the group stages, are the ones where they fumble in the knock outs.

EXHIBITS: 1996, 1999, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2021

Nasser Hussain and Harsha Bhogle put it aptly - "When Pakistan are tagged favorites and their fans' hopes are high, they always disappoint. And when you write them off, that is when they come back to play their best cricket!"

In the last three matches against South Africa, Bangladesh, and New Zealand, Pakistan definitely played some of their best cricket.

The two matches they lost were off the final ball. Such a fine margin. Both matches could have gone Pakistan's way so easily.

Pakistan are an amazing team, one of the best T20 teams in the world as records suggest, they played their 6th T20 World Cup semi final - more times than any other team, they are going to play their third T20 World Cup Final - also the most by any team (albeit jointly), they are truly Box Office!


THE EMOTIONS OF A PAKISTAN FAN
These are uncontrollable.

I guess it is the passion, or maybe a lack of faith in leadership, which is borne out of many other issues with the country, or a genuine lack of understanding, or maybe they have short memories and lack patience.

It could also be a combination of all of the above, but one thing is clear - no other cricket fan is sent into a thrilling ride with so many twists and turns than a Pakistan cricket fan.

As I said, Box Office Blockbuster.

There was heartbreak and a lot of disappointment after the loss to India in Pakistan's first match of the T20 World Cup. I know many people who stopped following the World Cup after that match.

It was disappointing to lose undoubtedly, but I felt at the time that the boys played one hell of a game.

A game they should not have lost, but a game that was taken away from them by the best batsman of our generation who played the best knock of his T20 career!

I felt that the boys gave it their all in the match, and I feared that because of the result they may not turn up fully switched on for the next match. It was a physically and mentally draining game, and to bounce back from something like that is nothing short of a miracle.

I had no idea how the team would pick themselves up for the next match.

What I feared came true as Pakistan imploded against Zimbabwe. That result sent the entire nation into shock and all the fans into an emotional frenzy.

I heard all sorts of crazy statements.

"Pakistan do not deserve to play the world cup", "Babar is not a good captain", "Babar and Rizwan should not open, they are wasting the powerplay", and so on.

For the more optimistic fans, the ifs and buts scenarios started.

Pakistan needed to win all of its remaining matches, and then hope for other results to go their way. Some results were likely, others quite unlikely.

After South Africa beat India, the door seemed shut on Pakistan. Everyone I know had lost all hope.

I also felt that Pakistan's campaign was over, but I maintained that let the team play and win its games, and if its meant to happen, things will fall into place.

On the eve of the last day of the Super 12s, I had a very strong feeling that I shared with most of my friends.

Some laughed, some hoped, some promised me all sorts of things.

I truly felt it as I went to sleep earlier than ever to wake up at 4AM to watch South Africa vs Netherlands.

That Sunday, magic happened!

Yet, the critics remained.


"PAKISTAN DONT DESERVE TO PLAY THE SEMIFINALS"
Yes it was a "backdoor" and unbelievable entry into the semifinal for Pakistan, but at the end of the day the two best teams from the group qualified.

For those saying South Africa deserved it more makes no sense at all to me given that Pakistan thrashed South Africa.

For all those saying South Africa would have qualified had their match against Zimbabwe not been washed out - please go look at the NRR. Even if South Africa won that match, Pakistan would have gone ahead with a superior NRR.

Yes the two best teams qualified. Doesn't matter who won the earlier matches and who won the later ones.

When it mattered, Pakistan won!


"BABAR IS NOT A GOOD CAPTAIN"
I have always maintained that Babar Azam is Pakistan's true leader. The way Babar has backed his players, motivated them, and kept the team spirit alive, is unlike any other Pakistan team I have seen in the past 2 decades.

Babar is a phenomenal leader.

His biggest criticism has been his tactics, especially the bowling changes in some crucial matches. But then that can go either way. Some work, some don't.

In my view, he may not be the most tactically sound captain, but he is the kind of leader that the Pakistan team needs. He should be at the helm for as long as he plays, and Pakistan will do wonders.

Under Babar, Pakistan have risen as an ODI team, played the semifinal of a T20 World Cup (2021) after a decade, played an Asia Cup final (2022) after a decade, and now will play a T20 World Cup Final after 13 years!

Tactics aside, he has the results to back him. He has the players that back him. He has a board and management that back him.

All criticism is a load of BS in my opinion.


"BABAR AND RIZWAN SHOULD NOT OPEN"
This has been going on for a while, and largely it is do with their strike rates.

Babar just could not get going in any of the five Super 12 matches. Rizwan still had a couple of scratchy innings in two matches. But they both were far from their best and quite out of form.

The attacking stroke play in display from the bat of Mohammad Haris, brought in at the last minute due to an injury to Fakhar Zaman, escalated the voices demanding a change in Pakistan's top order.

Now here is the thing.

Babar and Rizwan are not only the best opening pair in Pakistan, they are the best opening pair in the world.

Do you break something up that has worked for you for two years on the basis of 5 innings? Do you change your plans overnight because your two best batsmen are not in form?

No, definitely not.

On Haris, yes he played two magnificent knocks in the Super 12s. A 28 off 11 when he batted in the powerplay and a 31 off 18 when he batted in the middle overs.

On the basis of that sample size how do you make a judgement to make Haris open instead of either of Babar or Rizwan?

Senseless really.

Babar and Rizwan came out to open in the semifinal and they batted as if nothing had ever changed.

Both knocked fifties and ensured Pakistan's march into the final on the back of a successful chase that Pakistan's openers are experts at.

Yes I am aware that Babar and Rizwan do not go all out attack in the powerplay and that their strike rates are lower than most T20 openers

Is the way well marketed by the likes of England, India, and Australia, the only way to play?

Surely not, as Babar and Rizwan are the only openers who have successfully chased scores in excess of 190 on multiple occasions. You cannot say that about the Buttlers, Warners, Finchs, Rahuls, Sharmas of the world.

There is a method to their madness, which they believe in. Majority Pakistan fans and critics will keep harping on about strike rates, while Babar and Rizwan will keep winning you games.


WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
To the final ofcourse!

To hell with all the criticism, Pakistan is going to play their third T20 World Cup Final!

Yes it is like 1992! It is Pakistan vs England in the Final of a World Cup at the MCG!

Despite all these similarities with 1992, there are some parallels that can be drawn with the World T20 in 2009 as well.

Back then, I had arranged a viewing party for Pakistan's semifinal and final at Time Cafe at Ramee Royal Hotel. There was a lot of coordination, a lot of requests made to the cafe, and about 25-30 of us witnessed Pakistan's World T20 win together.

This time around, there is another venue, but the same arrangements and coordination has been taking place. A good bunch got together to watch Pakistan's semifinal, and an even bigger lot will be there on Sunday to witness the T20 World Cup Final!

In this World Cup, Pakistan has peaked at the right time and I can't believe that we are one match away from becoming World Champions one more time!

COME ON PAKISTAAAAAAN !!

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Friday, September 23, 2022

Babar & Rizwan: The Undisputed Champions of T20 Cricket


Posted by Q at Friday, September 23, 2022 Pitched (6)

Last night, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan gave the world the answer to that question.

Exactly that.

SO WHAT!?

The two stalwarts of Pakistan's T20 team did not leave anything for Pakistan's unreliable middle order batsmen and completed a record chase of 200, against England in the second T20 International, all by themselves. 

They completely destroyed England's bowling attack and romped home with a thumping 10 wicket victory, unlike any other in all T20 cricket.

When Babar and Rizwan bat the way they did in Karachi last night, Pakistan don't need a middle order.

Babar and Rizwan shut down all critics questioning their presence as openers for Pakistan, their strike rate, their ability to utilize the powerplay to full potential, the pressure they were placing on the middle order, and all such garbage that was being said by experts and fans.

Last night in Karachi, the two champion batsmen showed the world why they are the best opening pair for Pakistan and why they are the best batsmen in T20 cricket in the world!

During the epic chase, Pakistan, along with Babar and Rizwan, created a number of records.

PAKISTAN CREATE HISTORY

1. Pakistan successfully completed the highest run chase without losing a wicket in the history of all T20 cricket

Yes, the feat has not even been achieved in franchise T20 cricket, let alone internationals.

Pakistan now have two entries in the list of highest scores chased without losing a wicket in T20Is.

2. Pakistan became the first team to successfully chase 200 against England in T20Is.

3. Pakistan also became the first team in T20Is to defeat England by 10 wickets!


BABAR AZAM & MOHAMMAD RIZWAN - SIMPLY THE BEST

Not too long back they were ranked number 1 and number 2 in T20Is. The latest rankings have them at 1 and 4. I think when the rankings are updated next week, they will be number 1 and 2 again.

Undoubtedly, these two are simply the best in the world. What they achieved last night was quite unbelievable.

Having said that, if anyone had asked me before last night about which opening pair was the most likely to chase a score of over 200 without being dismissed in a T20I, I would have named these two!

Their ability to chase big totals in T20Is is quite unparalleled.

1. Their unbroken 203 run partnership is now the second highest partnership in all T20Is.

Babar and Rizwan now hold the record for 2 of the highest 5 partnerships in T20Is.

2. Babar and Rizwan are a part of all of the highest 5 partnerships for Pakistan in T20Is.

The partnership of 203* was their 5th partnership of 150 or more. No other pair in T20Is even comes close to that many 150+ partnerships.

3. Their partnership of 203* is now the highest partnership in T20Is while chasing.

Babar and Rizwan broke their own record of 197, which they had put on against South Africa last year.

4. Babar and Rizwan, during their partnership of 203 last night, over took T20Is most prolific opening partners - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.

Babar and Rizwan now have the highest partnership runs, most number of centuries, and the best partnership average in all T20Is.

5. Babar and Rizwan are the best openers in the world in T20Is in terms of Impact.

Yes you heard that right. Anyone who has any reservations about their strike rates or their impact at the top of the innings is only delusional.

Not only do they have the top two averages among openers in T20Is, they also have strike rates as good as other openers around the world.

When measuring their impact, I used an adjusted average metric (Average x Strike Rate / 100) to determine the overall impact made by an opener in T20Is.

The result is here for everyone to see and wonder.


BABAR AZAM: THE UNDISPUTED KING

Anything I say about him will not be enough praise, nor will it do full justice, to the absolute talent that he is as a batsman.

Babar Azam is the best batsman in the world across formats.

Here is what he achieved last night with his epic unbeaten knock of 110.

1. Babar became the only batsman from Pakistan to score two T20I centuries.

2. Babar joined Faf Du Plessis and David Warner as the only three batsmen in this world who have scored a century in each format at the same ground - Karachi, the Wanderers, and Adelaide Oval, respectively.

3. Babar is now level with Rohit Sharma with the most (2) centuries in T20Is as captain.

He also has the third most runs in T20Is as captain; is only behind Virat Kohli in terms of average as captain; and is ahead of everyone else with 16 50s as captain.

4. During his knock last night, Babar raced past 8,000 runs in all T20 cricket, getting there faster than all batsmen, barring one.

He got there in only 218 innings, 5 more than the Universe Boss - Chris Gayle.

5. Babar's 110* last night was his 10th century as captain of Pakistan across formats, beating the legendary Inzamam Ul Haq's record of 9 centuries as Pakistan captain.

6. Babar Azam won his 30th T20I last night, beating Sarfraz Ahmed's record of 29 T20I victories as captain of Pakistan.

I am still in awe of what Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan achieved last night.

And I am still in shock at experts and fans who have been harping on about how Pakistan needs to change their opening combination.

Last night was a good reminder about previous chases of 208, 201, and 189. Of previous wins set up by Babar and Rizwan. Of the so many platforms that these two have provided this team.

It is not their fault that the middle order is not good enough. It is surely their fault that the middle order does not get enough chances to bat, but certainly not their fault if the middle order can't finish games.

Babar and Rizwan will not always do what they did against England in the second T20I of the 7 match series.

They can't be expected to set up a platform as well as finish games. At times they will do both, at times they will just do their part and leave it to the rest to finish, at times they will fail.

Pakistan has two champions at the top of their order who need to be cherished by one and all. Such batsmen are produced once in generations. Savor their performances!

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Monday, September 12, 2022

Pakistan doesn't have a Middle Order - So what?


Posted by Q at Monday, September 12, 2022 Pitched (17)
Leading up to the Asia Cup, there was an article about how Pakistan's middle order was not getting enough time in the middle to showcase their ability. The prolific form of the top order was the culprit, who were facing too many deliveries and scoring at less than an ideal strike rate.

Now that the Asia Cup is over, one can look back and see that Pakistan's middle order got ample chances and they failed miserably. Every. Single. Game.

Babar Azam was not at his best. I would say grossly unlucky rather than woefully out of form, but considering he was back in the pavilion within the powerplay every game (barring one), the likes of Fakhar, Iftikhar, Khushdil, and Asif got plenty of chances.

And they all collectively showed the world how useless they are.

FAKHAR ZAMAN
Asia Cup Scores: 10, 15, 5, 13, 0. Yes, I am not counting the 50 odd against Hong Kong.

Even leading up to the Asia Cup, Fakhar had scores of 10, 10, 12, 0. 

Add to that the fact that he dropped Kohli second ball, and that his misfields gave India 8 valuable extra runs. He is lucky Pakistan chased down 180 odd and didn't lose by 5 runs or so.

It is time Pakistan move on from Fakhar the T20 batsman.

IFTIKHAR AHMED
I am sorry but we do not need batsmen who score run a ball 30 odds. What is the point?

In a team that has openers that are accumulators, you don't need another batsman who does the same.

Please look elsewhere.

KHUSHDIL SHAH
Why is he even in the T20 team?

In 18 T20I innings, he has a highest score of 36. Against Zimbabwe.

His next highest is 35. Against Hong Kong.

He also has a 34. Against Bangladesh.

In the remaining 15 innings he has not crossed 20.

Why is he in the team?

ASIF ALI
He is way too over rated. 

He has played 45 T20 Internationals now, and the only game that he has actually won for Pakistan is the one against Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup last year.

Besides that, if all what you want is 16 off 8, your bowlers can get you that. You do not need Asif Ali.

Haris Rauf - 13* off 7 vs India
Shahnawaz Dahani - 16 off 6 vs India
Naseem Shah - 14* off 4 vs Afghanistan

These are actually better returns than Asif. 

Please move on from this over rated slogger.


Is blaming the top order fair? 

Now that it is established that Pakistan does not have a middle order, I feel the blame given to the top order for not giving other batsmen enough chances was unfounded.

Pakistan's T20I top order gave us successful chases of 208/3 vs WI, 205/1 vs SA, and 189/6 vs SA in the last 12 months.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, despite their "below par" strike rates and low risk approach in the powerplay led Pakistan to 3 record chases in 12 months.

Not to mention all the other chases of scores between 120 and 170.

It has worked in the past. It will work again in the future.

Unfortunately Babar did not score this Asia Cup. If he did, it may have been a different story.

What do we do about the middle order then?

I don't see any replacements to be honest.

Yes there is Haider Ali, who was in the Asia Cup squad, but did not get a single game.

In my view, he is better than the 4 batsmen mentioned above.

Shan Masood has been in the runs in domestic and county cricket. He has a strong case for inclusion in this side.

Even if you bring in these two, Pakistan will be left with two passengers. 

And honestly, I do not think it will make a difference.

Whether you have Fakhar, Iftikhar, Khushdil, Asif or you have Shan, Haider, Khushdil, Asif. Whether you bring in Shoaib Malik. Or even if you bring in Javed Miandad.

It will make no difference whatsoever. You can play rabbits in the middle order for all I care.

Pakistan's T20 success has been achieved on the back of great knocks by Babar and Rizwan, and some outstanding pace and spin bowling.

That is your team right there - Babar, Rizwan, Shadab, Nawaz, and any 3 out of Shaheen, Naseem, Haris, Hasnain, Dhahani, Waseem Jr.

The middle order is just a formality. Whoever is there, however they play. Unless Babar Azam scores, Pakistan will not win consistently in my view.

T20 World Cup Squad

With the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup to be announced by 15 September, it seems unlikely that there will be any major changes.

You can't go into a World Cup with inexperienced players, and the current crop are the ones Pakistan has banked on for the past year.

Perhaps Shan Masood may get a look in. Any of Fakhar, Iftikhar, Khushdil, and Asif can be dropped for Shan really.

Haider should find a place in the constantly failing middle order. I don't get why he wasn't given a chance especially considering that he has scores of 45, 68, and 31 in his last three T20Is.

Having said all this, I would also like everyone to note that this Pakistan team under Babar is a very good team.

They reached the semi finals of the T20 World Cup in 2021, after not qualifying for the knock outs in 2014 and 2016.

They reached the final of the Asia Cup 2022, which they did not qualify for in 2018 and 2016.

So something is right about this team. They are moving in the right direction.

With some tweaks, they will win a tournament too, in the not so distant future.

This is what I think Pakistan's 15-man squad will look like:

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Haider Ali, Shan Masood, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Waseem, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani

And Pakistan's first XI should be:

1. Babar Azam 2. Mohd. Rizwan 3. Shan Masood 4. Haider Ali 5. Mohd. Nawaz 6. Shadab Khan 7. Asif Ali 8. Haris Rauf 9. Mohd. Waseem 10. Naseem Shah 11. Shaheen Afridi 

A strong bowling line up with 4 pacers and 2 spinners will be ideal for Australia I believe.

And there is enough batting there for 20 overs.

After all, Pakistan only need Babar Azam and Rizwan!

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Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Pakistan need to top this white ball form with a World Cup Trophy!


Posted by Q at Tuesday, July 05, 2022 Pitched (1)
Pakistan are currently ranked 3 in ICC's ODI Cricket Rankings. They are number 3 in T20Is too. Not only that, but the top two batting rankings in both white ball formats are occupied by Pakistan's batsmen!

Babar Azam is ranked 1 in both ODIs and T20Is, while the second ranked batsmen are Imam Ul Haq and Mohammad Rizwan, respectively.

Shaheen Afridi is also up there ranked at 3 in the ODI Bowler Rankings.

I do not remember the last time Pakistan dominated white ball cricket in this manner.

They have been one of the best T20 teams for a while now, even leading the rankings for some time not too long ago. But in ODIs, they have been languishing in the bottom half of the table for almost a decade.

Till now that is.

Pakistan's ODI form is so strong that out of the 6 completed ODI series since the ICC World Cup 2019, they have won 5!

They have beaten Sri Lanka (2-0), Zimbabwe (2-1), South Africa (2-1), Australia (2-1), and West Indies (3-0) during this period. And only lost to the World Champions, England (3-0).

During this ODI reign, Pakistan became the only Asian side to win two ODI series in South Africa, and they achieved their highest ever successful chase in ODIs, against Australia.

The ODI team has surely touched some great heights in this period.

Come to think of it, the resurgence began during the 2019 World Cup itself when they won 4 games in a row, but were unlucky to miss the semi finals due to net run rate.

They arguably were one of the best teams on show; and the only team who beat both the finalists during the group stages!

But a repeat of 1992 was not meant to be. 

At the T20 World Cup in 2021, Pakistan were definitely the best team on show. They were the only team to reach the semi finals unbeaten.

Unfortunately though they were met by an Australian resurgence, which without fail happens at every World Cup.

Two ICC trophies have been denied, yet Pakistan has continued its vein of form.

Since that World Cup in 2019, Pakistan have a W:L ratio of 2.2 in ODIs; the second best among the full nations.


Even in T20 Internationals during this period, they have the second best W:L ratio among the full nations.


Pakistan's batsmen have been in tremendous form in both white ball formats during this period, especially Babar Azam, the world's best batsman currently.

Babar is the second highest run scorer in ODIs in this period, and his average is miles ahead of the rest. He has also knocked 7 ODI centuries in this time, more than any other batsman. Imam is also among the top 10 run scorers in this period.


Babar has dominated in T20 Internationals too during this period, but it is his opening partner who takes the batting honors with the most T20I runs and by far the best average in this format.

Babar and Rizwan are also two of the three batsmen who have scored a T20I hundred in this period.


What has worked for Pakistan is that these batsmen have batted well in pairs. Its rarely a one man show and always a spectacle when you have Babar & Imam batting together in ODIs or Babar & Rizwan putting on a show in T20Is.

Look at Babar and Imam's partnership average in ODIs over the past 3 years!


And look at the number of century stands Babar and Rizwan have put on in T20 Internationals in this period!


Pakistan's rise in ODIs and T20Is could not have been better timed given the three upcoming white ball World Cups over the next three years.

The T20 World Cup gets underway in 3 months.

There is an ODI World Cup in 2023.

And another T20 World Cup in 2024.

Sure the Pakistan fans would like to see them win all three World Cups, but then lets be realistic; it is Pakistan we are talking about, not Australia!

But I tell you what. At least one of those trophies has Pakistan written on it.

If Pakistan does not win at least one of these World Cups, then all this white ball form, the team rankings, the batsmen rankings, the partnership runs, this unparalleled success will all mean for nothing.

This resurgence needs to be topped with an ICC Trophy (or two) in the next 2 years.

It is not beyond reach, and if any Pakistan can do it, it is Babar Azam's Pakistan!

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Saturday, November 13, 2021

The Beginning of something special for Pakistan Cricket


Posted by Q at Saturday, November 13, 2021 No Comments
It is not the morning after, two days have passed, and it still doesn't feel right that Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign is over.

This World Cup seemed like it was ours, and that is why it hurts even more.

One could have been angry had the team played badly, had the batting collapsed, had Pakistan just not turned up. But they did, and they did everything right for the most part. The match seemed to be in the bag; till some brilliance from the other side that just took it away, leaving us in shock and disbelief.

While the disappointment remains, the past two days have allowed us to heal and reflect. There are plenty of positives, both for the team and its future, as well as, the fans of Pakistan Cricket.


THE TEAM
Pakistan played this T20 World Cup like champions and were the only team that remained unbeaten in the group stages. Overall, they played 6 matches and won 5 of them - the same number as the two finalists; unfortunately the game we lost was the Semi Final.

The team looked united, played very spirited cricket, and were at the top of their game. This is surely not the end, but the beginning of something very special from this set of truly exceptional cricketers.

The cricket these boys played reminded me of the 90s. The difference; however is that this time the sum seems to be greater than the parts.

I have no doubt in my mind that this lot of players, under the leadership of Babar Azam, have a very bright future, and there is an ICC trophy waiting for them just around the corner. 

THE PLAYERS

SHAHEEN AFRIDI single handedly ended India's campaign in two deliveries. India never really recovered from those two bolts. His deliveries to Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and then Aaron Finch were by far the best balls delivered in this T20 World Cup. As this team's pace spearhead, he will win Pakistan many more matches in the future.

ASIF ALI & HARIS RAUF were the two most criticized players of the squad. Their lack of performance leading up to the T20 World Cup was a worry for everyone. Credit must be given to the captain and the management team who kept their faith in them. Both Asif and Haris completely repaid this faith with some exceptional performances.

Asif could not have chosen a better time to display his firepower, which we have all seen in the PSL, than at the grandest stage of T20 cricket. He will finish many more games for Pakistan in the future, like he did against New Zealand and Afghanistan.

Haris bowled some fiery spells against India and New Zealand, and he maintained his strong form throughout the tournament. 

Similarly, FAKHAR ZAMAN and HASAN ALI, also had their fair share of critics. Both continued to fail in the group stages but Babar Azam maintained his faith in their abilities.

Fakhar was not even part of the initial squad of 15 that was announced and was included later at the insistence of Babar. Throughout the group stages, Babar kept saying that Fakhar is a big match player and he will deliver. He truly did by tearing apart Australia's pace spearhead in the semi final!

Hasan, however, failed to perform as per expectations, but one can't blame anyone for persisting with him considering his performance over the past 12 months. All sportsmen go through tough times, and Hasan will surely bounce back!

All those who believe that T20 is a young man's format need to rethink their stance. The experience brought by the presence of MOHAMMAD HAFEEZ and SHOAIB  MALIK was invaluable. Hafeez was superb in the field and with the ball when required. His positive intent with the bat was a reminder to everyone of how this game must be played.

Malik's calm presence in the middle against New Zealand helped finish the game and his ruthless attack on Scotland got him the record of the fastest 50 in T20Is for Pakistan.

I don't know what they have decided for the future, but with the next T20 World Cup just a year away, maybe they will still be around.

SHADAB KHAN was not in the best of forms leading up to the T20 World Cup, but he is a proven match winner and he showed all of us why Babar had so much faith in him. He was fabulous with the ball in all the matches, picking up wickets regularly, and keeping the runs in check as well. With Shadab back at his best, Pakistan truly has the best bowling line up in T20Is.

IMAD WASIM is invaluable for Pakistan with the new ball. He was one of the most economical bowlers in the entire T20 World Cup with an economy rate of 5.7. He completes Pakistan's all round bowling attack, which has more variety than any other bowling line up in T20 cricket.

MOHAMMAD RIZWAN is the Superman of Pakistan cricket, a true man of steel. I am still quite shaken by the fact that Rizwan spent 30 odd hours in the ICU before being declared fit on the day of the semi final. What a champion!

Since his transformation into Pakistan's T20 opener, he has been simply sublime. During the T20 World Cup he became the first batsman to score 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year.


He also surpassed Chris Gayle's tally of 1,665 runs in all T20 cricket in a calendar year, and now has 1,743 runs in 2021. With still some T20Is left for Pakistan this year, Rizwan will take his lead at the top even further, and will likely remain there for a long time.

BABAR AZAM has been the best batsman in white ball cricket for some time now. In this tournament, he also grew in stature as a captain. The way he marshaled his troops, the way he united the team, the way he ensured everyone remains united even after defeat, are all traits of a great leader. He has a bright future ahead as captain and I for sure think that this team under him will reach even greater heights.

Babar ended his T20 World Cup campaign as the leading run scorer of the tournament.


Babar's tally of 303 runs in this T20 World Cup is the highest number of runs by a batsman in his first T20 World Cup. It is also the most runs scored by a captain in any T20 World Cup and it is the third highest tally by a batsman in any T20 World Cup, behind Kohli's 319 in 2014 and Dilshan's 317 in 2009.

I believe he is well on his way to becoming one of Pakistan's and the world's finest cricket captains.

Pakistan has never had a better opening pair in cricket than Babar and Rizwan. Together, they have scripted so many Pakistan victories in T20Is, and I am sure they will continue to do so. They are now 6th in the list of most partnership runs in T20Is, but their average of 62 and 5 century partnerships are unparalleled. We can look forward to many more T20I wins scripted by these two.

Pakistan's performance in the group stages was truly fabulous and exceeded all our expectations. Yes, the semifinal loss was disappointing, moreso because we all felt this was Pakistan's World Cup. They were the best team on show and the triumphant run was just glorious. This is definitely just the beginning for this special lot of cricketers.

PAKISTAN CRICKET FANS
For us, the World Cup came home to the UAE, which made it all the more special.

For the past decade we have traveled the world supporting the boys in green. From ODI World Cups in Australia and England, to T20 World Cups in Sri Lanka, to ICC Champions Trophies in the UK, we were everywhere.

This time, we were with the team from the start till the end, from Dubai to Abu Dhabi to Sharjah, from defeating India for the first time in a World Cup to coming so close to reaching the final.

It was a really memorable World Cup for all of us.

The best part was that Pakistan's campaign reignited the passion for cricket among the youth in Pakistan. All the Pakistani kids were connected to the team and cheered them on throughout the World Cup. What this will do for cricket in Pakistan is immeasurable.


The cameramen in Dubai and Sharjah ensured that we will cherish memories of this World Cup forever. These cameramen are responsible for creating the Hulk Glove Guy and the Hulk Glove Crew. Thank you for that!

Even for this crew, this is definitely not the end. The Hulk Gloves will be back again.

The road to Australia 2022 begins now. Rest assured, we will be there, in all our greens, cheering on this champion team once again!

The Beginning ...


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Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Mohammad Rizwan's Golden Run in T20 Cricket


Posted by Q at Wednesday, November 03, 2021 No Comments
Pakistan's phenomenal opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan posted their 5th century partnership yesterday, helping Pakistan to 189 off their 20 overs, defeating Namibia by 45 runs.

With their 5th century partnership, the pair now has more century partnerships in T20Is than any other pair, surpassing the 4 partnerships posted by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and by Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson.


Babar and Rizwan now have the 6th highest partnership runs in T20Is and they have got there in only 19 innings.

The pair's average of 63 is far beyond any other pair's average.

Their highest partnership of 197 is the 4th highest partnership in all T20Is.

Babar and Rizwan truly are a golden pair and together they have taken Pakistan's T20 cricket to new heights.

Everyone knows that Babar Azam is a superstar and currently one of the best all format batsman in the game. He, along with Virat Kohli, are the only two batsmen in the world that are among the top 7 of the ICC batsmen rankings for each format.

And Babar is number 1 in both T20Is and ODIs.

Babar is the most consistent batsman in the T20 format; however, it is Mohammad Rizwan, who is going through a dream run currently.


In 2021, Rizwan has scored more T20I runs than any other batsman in a calendar year, and that too at a bradmanesque average, which has only been matched by Kohli (in 2016).

No other batsman has even averaged 50 in T20Is in a calendar year (min 500 runs).

Yesterday against Namibia, Rizwan posted his 9th fifty in T20Is this year, which is also the most fifties any batsman has hit in this format in a calendar year.

Before 2021 ends, Rizwan will undoubtedly become the first batsman in history to knock 1,000 runs in T20Is in a single year!

With an unbeaten knock of 79 last night, Rizwan created another T20I record - he now has the highest T20I batting average in the world.


Rizwan is on the verge of another world record.

He needs 4 more runs to equal Chris Gayle's record of scoring the most runs in all T20 Cricket in a calendar year!


He went past the run tallies of Babar and Kohli during his knock yesterday.

A year, in which, Rizwan is breaking records held by legends like Kohli and Gayle, is nothing short of a phenomenal dream.

Rizwan is truly living the dream and he is growing with stature with every match. With Babar he has created a magnificent opening partnership for Pakistan, and individually he is undoubtedly the key man for Pakistan in T20Is currently!

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