AUS vs PAK: Watch - Mohammad Rizwan Declines To Shake Hands With Women Of Glenn McGrath's Family
Updated - 06 Jan 2024, 11:45 AM
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Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan politely declined to shake hands with female members of Glenn McGrath’s family during the third Test in Australia. Mohammad Rizwan stood out as the sole Pakistani cricketer who refrained from such gestures.
The New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground is known as the ‘Pink Test,’ dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer. This initiative was inspired by legendary fast bowler Glenn McGrath’s personal tragedy, as he lost his wife, Jane, to the disease in 2008.
McGrath started the McGrath Foundation in 2005 to promote breast cancer awareness and support those affected. The McGrath Foundation collaborates with Cricket Australia to raise funds for patients and survivors, making a powerful commitment to the cause.
Watch – Mohammad Rizwan Declines To Shake Hands With Women
In a video shared by a user on X (formerly Twitter), Pakistan cricketers can be seen shaking hands with McGrath’s family members, but Mohammad Rizwan refrained from gesturing with women and instead greeted a little girl.
Respect for Muhammad Rizwan ❤️
Just shake hands with a little girl!
Only Muhammad Rizwan didn’t shake hands with women of McGrath’s Family!#PakistanCricket #MuhammadRizwan#PAKvsAUS #AUSvPAK #AUSvsPAK pic.twitter.com/V55WhuFcM7— Ahtasham Riaz ?? (@AhtashamRiaz_) January 5, 2024
The third day of the Test is dedicated to Jane McGrath, and the SCG’s Ladies Pavilion is temporarily renamed in honor of Glenn McGrath’s first wife, Jane. The baggy pink caps worn by both teams, Pakistan and Australia, will be auctioned as per tradition.
The Shan Masood-led team faced an 8-wicket defeat in the final Test, concluding in a 0-3 whitewash in Australia. Despite showing promising moments in the match, the visitors couldn’t secure a victory. Their last triumph on Australian soil was back in 1995 in Sydney.
Mohammad Rizwan Shines With Bat During Australia Tests
Mohammad Rizwan played a crucial role in Pakistan’s first innings during the third Test match. Rizwan formed a significant 94-run partnership with Agha Salman for the sixth wicket, rescuing the team from a challenging situation at 47/4. He was dismissed by Australian captain Pat Cummins after scoring 88 runs off 103 balls.
The Pakistani team management opted for former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as the wicketkeeper-batter over Mohammad Rizwan in the first Test against Australia in Perth. Rizwan wasn’t included in the playing XI despite his superior performance record in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries.
Sarfaraz couldn’t capitalize on the chance, accumulating just seven runs across both innings as Pakistan faced a 360-run defeat in the Test. Rizwan took over the wicketkeeper-batter role in the second Test in Melbourne, posting scores of 42 and 35. The Shan Masood-led team suffered a 79-run loss in the Boxing Day Test match.
Mohammad Rizwan Included In T20 Squad For New Zealand Tour
Rizwan will next be seen in action during the upcoming five-match T20I series in New Zealand. The team is contemplating experimenting with a new opening combination in T20Is, exploring the possibility of Saim Ayub partnering either Babar Azam or Rizwan.
Pakistan Squad for New Zealand T20I Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan
