Disturbing team combination made us suffer: Rizwan

ISLAMABAD: Mohammad Rizwan (90 not out), the lone fighter for Pakistan in the batting line-up against New Zealand in the fourth T20, Friday bluntly stated that disturbing the winning combination made us suffer.

“Pakistan’s performance in the T20 was going exceptionally well till the time we started disturbing the combination on the pretext that we are trying different combinations. So I think one should be ready to see such performance from an unsettled combination. I think other teams also do that”

Rizwan said that Babar Azam has a big heart and was all the more cooperative. “He accepted the suggestions from Hafeez and Shaheen of trying new combinations. Babar accepted the change without any hesitation. Yes, the change in the opening pair has affected the team’s performance but that was the decision of management.

They never said that we are not in their plan for the World Cup as opening pair. What the management wanted was to try some new combinations. It is up to the nation and cricket fans to decide how they feel about such an experiment.”

Rizwan said he hoped that something good would come out of these experiments. “The coaching staff is trying to get something out of these experiments. Hopefully, some positive signs will come out. Personally, I don’t like losing nor the nation wants us to lose. But the path we have chosen for ourselves, such things happen. When you disturb the combination and try to make new experiments you should be ready for anything. That is what we are doing these days.”

He praised Saim Ayub, saying that the youngster has a future ahead of him. “He looks good though he has yet to play any big and match-winning innings. Yet he looked confident and capable. Hopefully, he will learn a lot from these repeated chances he is getting.”