ICC ODI World Cup 2023: Abdullah Shafique's Strokeplay Made It Look Simple During Record Run Chase - Mohammad Rizwan

The Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has thoroughly analysed the record run-chase in the World Cup match against Sri Lanka at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

During the post-match press conference, Rizwan, the Player of the Match, emphasised that calm and composed Abdullah Shafique deserves all the credit for displaying immense determination with the bat.

Rizwan shed further light on the team’s execution during their run-chase, especially after losing their first two wickets within the first eight overs.

The flamboyant wicketkeeper also admitted the fact that they felt a certain amount of pressure after losing their top batter, Babar Azam.

Furthermore, Azam’s departure from the crease necessitated a shift in their overall strategy.

Despite struggling with cramps, Rizwan reiterated that they relied on a well-thought-out plan, adopting a more conservative approach until the 20th over.

He further emphasised that their plan was divided into distinct phases, with specific objectives set for the first 20 overs.

According to Rizwan who’s also known for his antics on the field, effective communication and astute calculations were crucial on the placid surface in the middle overs.

It is worth mentioning that Abdullah’s masterful execution in the early stages of the innings, combined with his impressive shot selection, greatly facilitated unpredictable Pakistan’s pursuit of the target.

TIM: First of all, Congratulations to you, Rizwan. You have played some outstanding innings.

Tell us something about your partnership with Abdullah. And of course, Abdullah’s…

And it was his first match of the World Cup, how was the communication between you two? And how did he turn it into such a great partnership? And Pakistan has achieved a historic victory [in the ODI World Cup].

“See, his first century came later in the innings, and the way he played the innings, it was like if you had a 300-plus score on the board, and you’re doing things, and because you’re an opener, there’s a certain type of pressure on you,” Rizwan said during the presser.

“It happens, that score is above 300, you have to do things, regardless of the pitch, and it’s true that the pitch was helpful, but when you look at the board, and that’s what we decided inside, and that’s what I told Abdullah,” he quipped.

“Don’t look at the board; we kept to our plan because there was a separate plan until 20 over, then a separate plan until 30, and then a separate plan until 40 over. This is exactly what we intended,” he added.

The strategy was to take the game deep: Mohammad Rizwan

“In our big chases, we had contributions from Babar Azam, who everyone knows is a great player. Unfortunately, he got out, and when he got out, we implemented this strategy where we bat normally till 20 overs. It was the way how we communicated and calculated.

“The way Abdullah constructed the innings at the beginning, as well as the shots he struck, made it simple for us to chase the score,” he further said while dissecting the run chase.

Earlier, Dashun Shanaka of Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first.
Sri Lanka scored 344 for 9 in 50 overs, courtesy of brilliant tons from Kusal Mendis 122 (77b) and Sadeera Samarawickrama 108 (89).

With Hyderabad fans cheering both teams, Pakistan responded with early hitches until Rizwan 131* (121b) and Shafique 113 (103b) stitched a 176-run partnership for the third wicket.

Eventually, Pakistan won by six wickets with 10 balls to spare, with hard-fought centuries from Rizwan and Shafique, before Iftikhar Ahmed played unbeaten cameo 22 (10b) at the fag end of the innings.