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Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan made a significant remark following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He acknowledged that the criticism directed towards the team was valid because they did not live up to the expectations of their supporters during the tournament.
Pakistan’s national cricket team had a challenging campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024, finishing poorly and exiting the competition early. They failed to deliver significant performances with both bat and ball, allowing their opponents to dominate proceedings.
Their tournament began unfavorably with a heavy defeat against the United States of America, followed by another loss to the India national cricket team. Despite having opportunities to secure victories in both matches, Pakistan could not capitalize on them.
These initial losses severely impacted Pakistan’s prospects in the T20 World Cup 2024. Their hopes relied on Ireland defeating the United States of America, but the match ended in a draw, enabling the USA to progress and eliminate Babar Azam’s team from the tournament.
Subsequent to their premature exit, Pakistan faced severe criticism from fans and experts alike. Criticisms included calls for dropping certain players from the squad and even removing Babar Azam from his captaincy role.
Addressing the criticism, Mohammad Rizwan emphasized that it is unrealistic to expect a player to thrive under intense scrutiny. He conceded that the entire team was disappointed with their performance and cited multiple factors contributing to their struggles. As reported by Cricket Pakistan, he remarked:
“The criticism the team is facing is justified, and we deserve this since we didn’t meet expectations. Players who can’t face criticism won’t be able to succeed.
“We are disappointed with our performance in the T20 World Cup. There are multiple reasons behind our losses. When a team loses, one can’t say that bowling and batting is doing well.”
The decision about who will remain in the team and who will not is the chairman’s right – Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan addressed recent remarks by the PCB Chairman regarding the Pakistan cricket team, acknowledging the chairman’s hard-working nature and agreeing with the assessment that the team requires significant changes. Rizwan emphasized that it is ultimately the chairman’s decision to determine the composition of the team moving forward.
“Operations are a normal thing. When a person is ill, operation is necessary. PCB Chairman is a hard-working person. The decision about who will remain in the team and who will not is the chairman’s right.”
Mohammad Rizwan emerged as Pakistan’s top scorer in the T20 World Cup 2024, amassing 110 runs across four matches with a strike rate of 90.90.
