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The many counterpunches of Mohammad Rizwan
“It was a tactical decision [to replace Mohammad Rizwan with Sarfaraz Ahmed] because we think as a batsman he can give us the desired results and his performances on the last tour of Australia, in England, and in New Zealand vouch for it. Rizwan has a superior statistical record so we have given him the preference.”
This was Pakistan captain Shan Masood ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the MCG.
It is often the case that the decision makers gravitate towards the popular choice than the bold one when caught in a tangle and, since the onset of the tour, Pakistan have been mired with many uncomfortable questions.
The most debated question regarding Pakistan’s playing XI was who will take the gloves. This has been a polarising debate in the national cricketing circles since Sarfaraz became another captain to be unceremoniously sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board in the aftermath of the 2019 50-over World Cup.
Rizwan, who had been piling up runs in first-class cricket for over a decade, had impressed many with his sound wicketkeeping, and had played two Tests by then — superseded the former captain and made a mark with an impressive 95 at Brisbane on Pakistan’s last tour.
He followed that Australia tour with five consecutive half-centuries across England and New Zealand. His glovework remained impeccable and that he was soon appointed Babar Azam’s deputy in between the England and New Zealand Test series underscores the meteoric nature of his rise.
The toxic debate, however, continued to entangle Rizwan and Sarfaraz, who by now had become the second choice wicketkeeper for Pakistan.
However, when Rizwan’s returns dwindled a year ago and Pakistan got an embarrassing hammering of 3-0 by England at home, the change of guard was taking place at the PCB headquarters in Lahore and to establish their legitimacy, the new management went on another spree of popular decision making.
With the calls for Sarfaraz to replace Rizwan picking up decibels, the selectors and the team management benched their vice captain and the former captain lived up to the expectations by delivering epic knocks with the bat to save Pakistan from yet another embarrassment of Test series defeat at home.
Rizwan, despite being the vice captain, travelled to Sri Lanka as a backupwicketkeeper for the two Tests that Pakistan won comfortably and only got to play in the second Test as a concussion replacement.
Back in Lahore, there was another change of guard and, once again, there was a complete structural change after another failure at the World Cup.
With the new captain and coach — or team director, as he has to be referred to because of the lack of coaching qualification — and myriad of controversies, the necessity for popular decision making arose to placate the fans and followers of the game.
So when Pakistan landed in Australia last month, the team management conveniently put the performances from the 2019 tour of Australia on the backburner and recalled how well Sarfaraz did when the team were Down Under some seven years ago, ostensibly to give some sense of consistency. Thus, Rizwan was unceremoniously sacked from the vice captaincy.
Call it crumbling to the media pressure following a crushing defeat at Perth or tactical awakening, but when Rizwan found himself back in the fold, the now former vice captain had a point to prove.
Cricketers in Pakistan have to fight many battles to make it to the top. Their first battle is with their parents to let them play the sport. They then have to wrestle the system and stave off politicking to get noticed while ensuring that they never drop their elite standards.
Rizwan is no stranger to that hustle. Since his emergence at the international scene almost a decade ago, he has remained one of the fittest cricketers in the Pakistan circuit that has translated into reliable glovework behind the stumps and some remarkable performances with the bat.
So when Rizwan got his chance, his moxie was on full display in the two innings at the MCG. He made 42 off 51 and 35 off 61. His 57-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha, in the chase of 317, took Pakistan on the verge of a historic win before a Pat Cummins stunner undid him.
As Pakistan tried to rationalise Sarfaraz’s inclusion in the playing XI for the first Test, they spoke about how Rizwan needed time to adjust to red-ball cricket after playing the 50-over World Cup. The jury is still out on whether that argument holds true for a player with the experience and ability of Rizwan.
But on Wednesday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Rizwan sensed an opportunity to prove why he has been here. As he strode out with Pakistan reeling at four for 47, Rizwan unfurled his repertoire of shots with assurance. The Sydney pitch may have been somewhat similar to what’s offer in Pakistan, but the Pakistan batters had painted a hopeless picture after their captain’s decision to bat on it.
A few minutes into his innings, Rizwan clubbed Josh Hazlewood for a six — the first of the innings — with his trademark pick up shot. There were plays and misses, as well as the fall of his captain at the other side of Tea, but Rizwan remained undeterred. He took his chances against the fast bowlers but it was Nathan Lyon who faced the worst of his wrath.
With runs coming easily from the other end, it also allowed Salman Ali Agha to play with the freedom that he must have craved since landing in Australia.
Since taking the reins, Shan has talked about playing with positive intent and he pointed out how an inferior scoring rate at Perth put Pakistan behind Australia. On what is his first tour as a captain, he has been alone on the path of embracing this attacking style of play. But, Rizwan, who would end up belting 88 at a strike rate of over 85 with 10 fours and two sixes, demonstrated how he can also be custom-made for that tack.
He scored 76 off 72 in the afternoon session on his way to Pakistan’s highest partnership of 94 with Agha on this tour. Pakistan, which seemed uncertain to even pass 150 when Rizwan arrived at the crease, went on to score 313 with solid half-centuries from Agha and Aamir Jamal.
A true measure of a subcontinent batter is how he performs in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia). Here, too, Rizwan’s average of 47 is the best for any subcontinent wicketkeeper-batter with at least 10 innings. His 95 and 88 are the top two scores by a Pakistan wicketkeeper in Australia.
Perhaps, it was a tactical decision that came a Test too late for Pakistan. But as he walked off the field amid an ovation from the Sydney crowd after an epic counterpunch, Rizwan, with a gentle wave, let everyone know why he had been here all this time.
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