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Mohammad Rizwan shared with former PCB Chief Ramiz Raja that his top goal for 2021 was to witness the Indian team lose to Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup. This historic win marked the first time Pakistan had defeated India in an ICC T20 World Cup match, breaking a streak that had lasted since 2007. Led by captain Babar Azam, the team achieved this milestone with a memorable victory over their rivals, thanks to an unbeaten partnership between Babar Azam and vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan. This victory will forever be remembered as one of Pakistan’s greatest moments in cricket.
Mohammad Rizwan reflects on the intense pressure of India-Pakistan games and shares his thoughts on the public’s response to the 2021 victory.
During his speech at an event prior to the 2024 T20 World Cup, Mohammad Rizwan discussed the significance and tension surrounding matches between India and Pakistan. He emphasized that while cricket fans may overlook other matches, an India-Pakistan game captivates people from around the globe, including those from Australia, England, and various other countries.
“Pakistan and India’s match is a pressure-filled match because in every tournament like the World Cup people watch and also miss a few games but the India-Pakistan match is watched by the people in Australia, England and many other countries.” – Rizwan said in a recent event.
Following that, Mohammad Rizwan shared his experience of walking onto the field with Babar Azam to chase a total of 152 runs in their World Cup match. Despite the high stakes and pressure of the game, the wicket-keeper batsman expressed that he felt calm and at ease, as if it was just another day on the field for him.
“So the entire world’s pressure is on this match. It was my first time, I was playing in the World Cup for the first time but everything was quite normal to me. When we won, then we realized that we have achieved something notable.” – Rizwan added.
Rizwan also discussed how the local population in Pakistan responded to their stunning 10-wicket victory against India. He shared that the people were so excited about the win that they refused to accept payment for their purchases at local shops and many even made it a daily habit to watch the match repeatedly.
Rizwan uncovers Ramiz Raja’s malicious intentions towards India.
Mohammad Rizwan revealed that Ramiz Raja’s primary goal as PCB chairman was to secure a victory against India. Rizwan disclosed that Raja showed no interest in the team’s performance in the World Cup, showing a single-minded focus on the India-Pakistan match outcome. This sheds light on Raja’s mindset during his time in office and highlights ongoing issues within the organization.
“When Ramiz Raja came in, the first thing he said, because we hadn’t beaten India yet, that we should be able to beat India. He kept repeating that we should beat India.”
“Although there was a lot of time till the World Cup but he kept developing that thought within the team. When the World Cup came closer, he told us winning and losing doesn’t matter but we shouldn’t lose to India.” – Mohammad Rizwan concluded.
