We Have A Great Deal Of Respect And Love For Each Other: Mohammad Rizwan On Opposition Players

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan asserted that they have respect for every opponent across the globe but their mentality is to beat them on the field.

Pakistan had a tremendous run during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 where they won all of their five group stage matches before they were eliminated by Australia in the semi-final.

Pakistan won against India by 10 wickets in ICC T20 World Cup 2021

Pakistan celebrated an emphatic 10-wicket win against arch-rivals India in their first game of the group stage.

Shaheen Afridi-led Pakistan bowlers routed the Indian batters for a modest total of 151/7 in the first innings, then openers Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam cruised Pakistan to an emphatic victory as they chased the target with 13 balls to spare.

Babar (68*) and Rizwan (79*) nullified the Indian bowlers after the dew came into play during the chase.

Just after the win, Rizwan hugged then Indian captain Virat Kohli, an image that was accepted by the cricket fans as a sign of sportsmanship, and later players from both teams were seen chatting with each other. Their victory was like hitting the grand jackpot of an online slot game, only this time they put a lot of effort into their teamwork and strategy.

We are like one cricketing family which includes all nations: Mohammad Rizwan

Rizwan said that they give their everything to defeat their opponents on the pitch but after the game, they behave like a family.

“We may have different feelings and opinions about various nations like Australia and India but on the field, we only think about beating them. We have no other option. But off the field, we have a great deal of respect and love for each other,” Rizwan said on Cricket Pakistan’s YouTube Channel.

“Having said that, it’s not like we make it easy for them to score runs or let him get to 100 if he’s on 99. This has never happened. We only had one thought process, which was to win at any cost.

“After the match, you saw a lot of players talk to Dhoni and Virat. Outside the field, we are like one cricketing family which includes all nations, be it Australia, South Africa, or Namibia,” Rizwan added.

Rizwan, who scored 1326 runs from 26 innings in 2021, was recently named as the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year.

Also Read: Mohammad Rizwan Dedicates His ICC T20I Cricketer Of The Year Title To His Colleagues