Pakistan vs Hong Kong: " The Ball Was Keeping Low"- Mohammad Rizwan Defends Pakistan's Slow Start Against Hong Kong

Pakistan batters were seen having a tough time in the middle. According to Mohammad Rizwan, the pitch was sluggish which was the main reason behind the slow run rate of the innings till the halfway stage. The likes of Fakhar Zaman too was not middling the ball.

The Hong Kong bowlers were quite impeccable with their line & length and weren’t giving any loose deliveries. The spinners in particular were trying all the tricks in the book to make sure that the boundaries are dried up.

Rizwan & Fakhar were involved in 116 runs partnership. Both the batters struck half centuries. Rizwan is someone who focuses on singles and is quite quick between the wickets.

Pakistan Cricket Team would be pleased after seeing the performance of Rizwan as he is their star batter; at the same time, they would be bothered about the form of Skipper Babar Azam who has failed in both the matches. When Babar gets out, it’s like half of the team is out; that’s why Babar has to redeem himself.

Mohammad Rizwan On The Pitch

“Most important for us to adjust to the conditions even if it is T20 cricket. The ball was keeping low. We tried hitting, but it wasn’t coming off. Then we charged down, keeping in mind the ball was staying low” Rizwan said in a post-match Press conference.

Watch: Mohammad Rizwan on the nature of the pitch in Post Match Press Conference

Mohammad Rizwan reinvented himself

The wicket-keeper batter this time played with a better strike rate. In their opening match against India, the batter had scored 43 runs in 42 balls and received a lot of criticism. This time, the batter made a resounding statement and scored an unbeaten 78 runs in 57 balls with a strike rate of 136.84 which included 6 fours and 1 six.

The batter got ample support from Fakhar Zaman and especially from Khushdil Shah who scored a quick cameo of 35 runs in 15 balls which included 5 sixes. Pakistan’s batting coach Mohammad Yousuf would be extremely happy as the team scored 193-2 and the batters unleashed an attack at a crucial junction of the match. The Pakistani bowlers bundled Hong Kong for a relatively low 38 runs in 10.4 overs and won the match by a whopping 155 runs.