Mohammad Rizwan’s troubled times with the bat in Tests continued as the Pakistan wicketkeeper was dismissed cheaply for 7 on Day 3 against England in Karachi on Monday.
Mohammad Rizwan’s troubled times with the bat in Tests continued as the Pakistan wicketkeeper was dismissed cheaply for 7 on Day 3 against England in Karachi on Monday. With Pakistan’s innings in trouble, they needed Rizwan to rise to the occasion and bail his team out of trouble, but what followed was another failure getting out to young England spinner Rehan Ahmed as the hosts were bowled out for 216 in their second innings.
Rizwan has been under the pump for his form in Tests. While there is no denying his credentials in ODIs and T20Is, it is the Test matches where Rizwan is stuck. After his unbeaten 104 against Australia earlier this year, Rizwan has failed to register a single half-century in 12 innings, with a highest of 46 against England in the first Test at Rawalpindi. In the last six Tests, Rizwan has conjured just 262 runs at an average of 21.8, which is a glaring concern in Pakistan’s middle order.
With another low score, Twitter users have pounced on to Rizwan, slamming him left, right and centre for his form with the bat. Some sections are also clamouring for the return of former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, backing him to replace Rizwan in the Test squad. Sarfaraz, who last played a Test back in 2019 and his previous ODI and T20I appearances date back to April and November of last year respectively, has been in good touch for Sindh in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, including scores of 56 and 102 in his last two matches.
Why Rizwan is batting like Virat Kohli nowadays. Flop and flop performance
— Avinash Aryan (@AvinashArya09) December 19, 2022
100% sure Rizwan will cost Pakistan the 2023 World Cup. He cannot perform under pressure. And is terrible in the middle-order😒
— Haroon (@hazharoon) December 19, 2022
Mohammad Rizwan has missed a chance of establishing himself in the test cricket courtesy poor streak of runs and has paved a path for Sarfaraz Ahmed to play test cricket for Pakistan once again. #PAKvENG
— Arfa Feroz Zake (@ArfaSays_) December 19, 2022
Mohammad Rizwan's poor form in Test cricket continues 🧐#PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/56iCobh3MM
— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) December 19, 2022
Dear Muhanmad Rizwan please go back to firstclass cricket. Play sesson or two there & if you score consistently then you will be picked again but right now you can not represent Pak in 3 formates by only performing in T20 formate.
Insaf Pasand bante hain tu ab khud insaaf karein pic.twitter.com/3z9qvwPs2C
— Shahzaib Ali 🇵🇰 (@DSBcricket) December 19, 2022
It's time to drop Rizwan in Tests!
Sarfaraz deserves a chance#PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/oDXkP4NDLv— Azan Ahmad (@azanahmad257) December 19, 2022
Rizwan is not doing anything in batting and still playing all the matches Wow!
It is time to drop #rizwan from the team who has no batting technique. #PCT must give chances to other young batsmen.
I know that #rizwan son will scold me after seeing this tweet. But truth is truth.— Visual Doctor (@Home__Doctor) December 19, 2022
Rizwan walked out at the fall of Babar’s wicket after the Pakistan captain had scored a gritty half-century. As Rizwan made his way out to bat, skipper Babar had a reasonably long chat with Rizwan, and expectedly so given how the match hung in the balance. But as it turned out, it didn’t prove helpful for Pakistan as Rehan ran through the Pakistan line-up with a historic five-wicket-haul.
