Not Shaheen Or Naseem As Grant Bradburn Names The Pakistan Player Whose Evolution Has Impressed Him The Most

Pakistan head coach Grant Bradburn has heaped praise on Mohammad Rizwan, saying that the wicketkeeper-batsman’s evolution has impressed him the most.

In May this year, Grant Bradburn was appointed as Pakistan’s head coach. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave him a two-year contract. However, he has been associated with Pakistan cricket for quite some time now. Before being appointed the head coach, he had held the position on a consultancy basis during the home series against New Zealand.

Before that, he had previously served as the fielding coach of Pakistan, from 2018 to 2020, before moving to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Prior to linking up with Pakistan cricket, Grant Bradburn was serving as the head coach of Scotland.

Grant Bradburn praises Mohammad Rizwan:

Having been associated with Pakistan cricket for the last five years, Grant Bradburn has seen the evolution of most of the players in the current Pakistan side. Most of the players in the team have established themselves in recent times. And the player who has impressed him the most is Mohammad Rizwan.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, he heaped praise on the wicketkeeper-batsman for his conduct and dedication when he was not getting a chance in the playing eleven due to Sarfaraz Ahmed. Grant Bradburn also praised Rizwan for the way he has made the most of the opportunity.

“So many of our boys have impressed me, they’ve all got their own stories but if I was to pick out one player, it would be Mohammad Rizwan. The obvious one for me. In 2018, he was warming the bench a lot because Sarfaraz [Ahmed] was the incumbent.

“The way Rizwan looked at that as an opportunity to keep himself moving forward [was commendable], so of course he was ready to step in when the opportunity came,” said Grant Bradburn.

“There would have been a good period of frustration for Rizwan knowing that his game was comparable to some of the best players in the world but with only one wicketkeeper’s slot, he wasn’t getting that opportunity. The way he has grabbed that opportunity, the way he has commanded his respect…

“In one-day cricket, in the last year, he has been averaging 70 odd (62.80) and striking close to 100. Those are world-class numbers. I’m very proud of who he is as a person and the way he has handled himself through the disappointment of not getting that opportunity perhaps as early as he would’ve liked. But now is his time and he is seizing every opportunity,” he added.

Rizwan is currently Pakistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper in the limited-overs format. He has already represented Pakistan in more than 100 limited-overs games, scoring over 4,000 runs with the help of 3 centuries and 37 half-centuries. The right-handed batsman has also scored over 1400 runs in 28 Tests with the help of 2 centuries and 8 half-centuries.

He will be a crucial member of Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup. Rizwan has warmed-up for the tournament in style by scoring an impressive century against New Zealand in the warm-up game and will be looking to continue the same form in the main competition.