Cricket
Rizwan sets Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup as targets
Says nurturing a future captain and a back-up wicket-keeper were his other targets as captain
LAHORE (APP) – The newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan has said that winning ICC Champions trophy 2025 and Men’s T20 World Cup in India & Sri Lanka are his goals as captain of the Pakistan white-ball captain.
In his first interview as captain with PCB Digital on Monday, he said the team has been losing in the semi-finals and final of the major ICC tournaments, adding, the team needed to make preparations keeping Champions trophy and T20 World Cup in mind.
About his other goals as captain, Rizwan said nurturing a future captain and a back-up wicket-keeper were his other targets as captain, adding that he would like to lead by example. “I will leave behind a legacy in which Pakistan cricket will have a group of good players after him,” he responded.
Rizwan further said that a good captain’s trait is to keep the team united, adding that the unity in the team was not due to one individual.
Read also: Mohammad Rizwan replaces Babar Azam as white-ball captain of Pakistan
“I wish to take Pakistan cricket to new heights with the right combination of the young and senior cricketers in the team,” the captain asserted, adding, cricket fans will find a new-look team under him.
It is a dream come true to don national color but it is even more gratifying an honor to lead Pakistan cricket, he said, adding that he could not express his feelings of elation on being nominated as Pakistan white-ball captain.
Rizwan said it is a privilege to lead a team of immensely talented individuals and a challenge as well to come up to the expectations of the nations, adding that he will do his best to efficiently handle the pressure of the game by keeping a balance between the pressure and the honor.
‘I have led U 19 and domestic outfits in the past but I was never desirous of the captaincy of the national side,’ Rizwan said, adding that he has learnt a lot from the past captains of the Pakistan team.
The wicket-keeper batsman said he will try to do justice with the job and apply what he had learnt over the years, adding that there is immense difference in captaining in domestic cricket and leading at the international level.
On his hopes for good performance as captain, Rizwan said he had served as vice captain in all formats and the whole team was happy with him and he will continue to lead in the same way.
On the upcoming Australia series, Mohammad Rizwan said the going has been always remained in Australian conditions for Pakistan team, adding if one looks closely at the stats of the last test series in Australia, one finds that the team lost from a point of advantage. ‘We will defeat Australians on their soil if work on the mistakes we made during the last series,’ Rizwan said, adding, “If we did not overcome Australia in the past, it never meant we can not beat them this time.” He said the only requirement is to give the good fight.
