Talent Spotter : Mohammad Rizwan

[Saj]

20 year old Peshawar born Mohammad Rizwan is a highly rated wicketkeeper batsman who was on the list of standby players for the recently concluded Test series in South Africa. He made his first class debut at the age of 16 in 2008, but has really caught the eye of the selectors this season after a string of impressive performances with the bat and gloves for both Sui Gas and Peshawar.

Speaking with PakPassion.net Rizwan spoke of how he got into cricket, how he played cricket behind the backs of his family, how he has had to be patient in terms of selection in domestic cricket, and his hopes for the future.


Full name : Mohammad Rizwan
Born : June 1, 1992, Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province
Current age : 20 years 283 days
Major teams : Pakistan Under-19s, Peshawar, Sui Gas
Batting style : Right-hand bat
Fielding position : Wicketkeeper


Getting into Cricket

I started playing cricket at a very early age with school friends and relatives. I mainly played cricket behind my parents' back as they were very strict and didn’t really approve of me playing cricket. In Peshawar, generally the priority is studying at school and also religious studies and cricket isn’t really approved of as a profession, as so few make it to the professional level.

I would play cricket with friends whenever I got the opportunity to; at the local parks, in the streets, wherever we could and whenever we could but the difficulty was that we had to make sure we didn’t get seen by our families.


College Cricket

After playing in the parks, streets, and for my local school, I went for trials for the Peshawar College team. I wasn’t sure that I would be picked for the team. I went along with some friends to see what it would be like and really just to enjoy ourselves and compare ourselves against the other boys attending the trials. The trials went very well and the coaches at the college were impressed with me and picked me for their first team.

I was delighted but that meant having to reveal my secret to my family that I had been playing cricket all this time. Anyway I bit the bullet and told my parents that I had been playing cricket and had been picked for the Peshawar College team. I wasn’t sure what their reaction would be. It turned out that at first they didn’t believe me and kept on asking me if I was telling the truth, but then when they digested what I had told them, they were very supportive and told me to do my best whenever I played.


Peshawar Under 19s

I continued playing college cricket and club cricket in Peshawar. By now, I was a lot more confident in my ability especially now that I didn’t have to hide the fact that I was spending a lot of time playing cricket. I did well with the college team and in club cricket and I caught the eye of the District coaches who picked me for the District Under 19 team. I made several hundreds for the District team and caught the attention of the Peshawar coaches who picked me for the Peshawar Under 19s team.

I was also lucky enough to be amongst the highest run scorers in Pakistan’s Under 19 competition in my first season of regional Under 19 cricket. I finished as the second highest run scorer in my debut season in Under 19 cricket.


Pakistan Under 19s

After doing well in Under 19 cricket for Peshawar, I was called up for Pakistan’s Under 19s against the touring Bangladesh Under 19 team in 2008, but that did not go too well. It was the first time that I had played cricket with a white ball and I found it very difficult as I had been used to playing with a red ball. But looking back now, it was all part of the learning curve for me. It didn’t go too well but I learnt a lot from the experience of playing with a white ball.


Wicket Keeping

A lot of people ask me how I got into wicket keeping as most young Pakistani cricketers want to be fast bowlers, batsmen or spinners. I was playing as a batsman in my early days, but then in District cricket I found myself in and out of the first team, picked on some occasions, batting down the order at times. I made up my mind then that I needed to add another dimension to my cricket, so started to keep wicket.

Quite a few people in Peshawar told me not to keep wicket, as it was a very specialised and a difficult facet of the game and close friends and coaches tried to deter me from wicket keeping, but I was determined to make it work. I was stubborn and wanted to succeed as a wicketkeeper/batsman. Many people came up to me and told me that I should just focus on my batting and not keep wicket but that just made me even more determined to succeed as a wicket keeper/batsman.

Even at Under 19 level and for a lot of the time in District cricket I was played as a specialist batsman and was wicket keeping intermittently, but gradually the more chances I got to keep wicket, the better I became and more confident with the gloves.

It wasn’t until that I signed for Sui Gas this season that I have been wicket keeping on a regular basis. They signed me as a specialist wicket keeper/batsman rather than just as a batsman.

I think wicket keeping is the most difficult aspect of playing cricket. You cannot afford to make a single mistake. One mistake can cost your team so you have to concentrate fully for every single delivery that your team bowls. Also your fitness levels have to be very high. If you are not in top shape then you will find wicket keeping a difficult proposition.


First Class Cricket

Sui Gas signed me this season after they spotted me playing in a friendly match against them. My fielding caught their eye and then their scouts watched me play for Peshawar region on a couple of occasions. I made a quickfire 40 and then 15 from 8 balls at the end of the innings and they asked me to sign for them ahead of the ongoing domestic season. I asked them to give me a couple of months to think about it as I wasn’t sure whether it was in my best interests to sign for a departmental team at this stage of my career, but I made the step and I hope it’s the right one.

When your heart is set on something then you should not hold back. When I signed for Sui Gas, I said to myself that even if these guys ask me to bowl I am going to give it my best shot.


Batting

I’ve never really bothered with where I am asked to bat. Whether it’s number 1 or 11 and believe me I have batted in all those positions, I just do my best. Recently in the 50 over competition I have been asked to bat at number three by Peshawar, but previously they wanted me to bat at number seven. That’s fine I’ll just do my best whatever is asked of me.


Cricketing Hero

I only have one cricketing hero and that is Adam Gilchrist. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about him. What a fantastic cricketer and role model for all wicket keeper/batsmen around the world.


The Future

You can wish and for everything, but I’ve learnt that nothing comes easy in life. In professional sport, you have to work hard to achieve success. I’m not someone who has had things easy and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I can from the bottom of my heart say that every success has been down to my coaches, mentors and my hard work, rather than any sort of favouritism.

It was fantastic to be named in the back up players for the Test squad in South Africa and that was a real boost for me and has really made me realise how far I have come in such a short space of time. I want to play for Pakistan, I have high hopes of playing for Pakistan, but it will only happen if I continue to work hard and continue to improve. Let’s see what the future holds for me.

[adnanulhaq97]

All the best to Mohd. Rizwan. Hope he plays for Pakistan if he deserves it.

[HazTheGreenKnightRises]

Thanks.. Saj Bhaii for giving an interview with an upcoming Wicket Keeper Talent Rizwan.. And its very interesting that he himself made up hi mind to do the wicket keeping Job.. That is the Determination..
I Think He would be the solution for Pak wicket keeping problems... Wish him best of Luck for the Future..

[pakistanigoneaussie]

hopefully he can adapt to the lower order. Unless a real doozie happens from the selectors or Kamran makes a double hundred i expect Rizwan to be heading to ireland soon

[HazTheGreenKnightRises]

^ ...Ameen..

[shah_1]

Hope he is the answer to our problems


We need a solid batsman in test cricket who can keep.

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Originally Posted by shah_1 Hope he is the answer to our problems We need a solid batsman in test cricket who can keep.

we need one in all formats. I reckon its pakistans biggest issue in terms of team balance.

In t20s we can get away with it by making umar keep but i have doubts he can last in odis. In tests less said the better

[saiyan0312]

he can finally be an answer to our problems..... A wicket keeper who can give us runs is a very good deal...... Hope dropmal is dropped and this guy is finally given a chance.

[alberto]

This guy should open at domestic level.

[Hussey_fan]

thanks Saj! Rizwan is the future , no doubt,he is quality,not mediocre like kami,

[PWalsall]

doesn't look suited for t20, hopefully he gets picked for the right formats ODI and tests

[Saj]

Originally Posted by PWalsall doesn't look suited for t20, hopefully he gets picked for the right formats ODI and tests

On what basis are you saying he's not suited to the T20 format?

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Originally Posted by Saj On what basis are you saying he's not suited to the T20 format?

its only a few games , but his list A and T20 stats give the impression he is Shafiq type batsman

http://www.espncricinfo.com/Australi...er/323389.html

when he is selected i hope he can adapt to the lower order, otherwise i have a feeling he will go the way of Usman and Sarfraz

[Nuekboi]

Could he... Could he be... OUR GILCHRIST?!?

Took a look at his averages and that is certainly some decent stuff

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Originally Posted by Nuekboi Could he... Could he be... OUR GILCHRIST?!? Took a look at his averages and that is certainly some decent stuff

No way

if he could be half a prior ill be happy

TBH though i want Mohamad Rizwan to be mohammad Rizwan and he should let the world know that through performances

[adnanulhaq97]

I wish he can adopt to the lower order but it would be nice to see him at 3. I believe he opens for his List A team.

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Originally Posted by adnanulhaq97 I wish he can adopt to the lower order but it would be nice to see him at 3. I believe he opens for his List A team.

If misbah and yk are removed, and hafeez made captain the highest i can see him is at 4.

this is based on a lot of assumptions but once hafeez takes over whenever that is im sure it will always be

1. Nasir
2. Shezhad
3. Hafeez



if misbah is retained then he still might have a chance at the top order since misbah likes him and has played with him

[adnanulhaq97]

You have more times in ODI's. Hafeez can play at No.4/5 too

[PWalsall]

Originally Posted by Saj On what basis are you saying he's not suited to the T20 format?

I was thinking of Fawad Alam who was not suited to t20 but was played in them constantly,
if he had got as many chances in tests which was the ideal format for him he could have been the Chanderpaul of Pakistan. He's still scoring runs for fun in domestic first class

Looking at M.Rizwans profile he looks like a player who likes to take his time to settle in so i doubt he could have a impact straight away if he was first picked for t20s.

[Saj]

Looking at M.Rizwans profile he looks like a player who likes to take his time to settle in so i doubt he could have a impact straight away if he was first picked for t20s.

Always risky to judge players and which format they are suited to based on a player profile.

I liked this lad's attitude. He seemed to have a real hunger and desire to succeed which was good to hear.

[farazaidi]

very excited about this talent, has spoken all the right things !

smart lad

[Shaggy_husla]

We have to remember he's still 20 years old so we have bed him in slowly into the first team because just chucking him into all 3 formats he will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders I say play him against Scotland and Ireland and see how he does and if he performs then put him in the champions trophy squad if not then it doesn't matter because he will learn from the experience and ultimately come back a better player.

[coca-cola]

Originally Posted by Shaggy_husla We have to remember he's still 20 years old so we have bed him in slowly into the first team because just chucking him into all 3 formats he will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders I say play him against Scotland and Ireland and see how he does and if he performs then put him in the champions trophy squad if not then it doesn't matter because he will learn from the experience and ultimately come back a better player.

by perform you mean average around 1.60 after 5 innings and drop the ball at least 7-8 times a match?

[pakistanigoneaussie]

I truly hate this " give them a few more seasons crap ". If they are fit, scoring heavily in domestic then they should be picked. Always pick on form. The whole few more seasons seems to be an excuse to justify the current crapiness which has infected our odi squad

[Shaggy_husla]

Originally Posted by coca-cola by perform you mean average around 1.60 after 5 innings and drop the ball at least 7-8 times a match?

haven't you got a ounce of positivity in you? Don't understand people like you.

[shahid123]

deserves a chance. anybody instead of akmals

[Shayan]

Selected in the 30 man Champions Trophy squad.

[shah_1]

^^He deserve his chance, he has been good this season

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Doubt he will be in the final 15 unfotunately

[coca-cola]

Originally Posted by Shaggy_husla haven't you got a ounce of positivity in you? Don't understand people like you.

positivity and kamran akmal? NO THANKS.

[London_Lahori]

Any videos of his batting?

[Earnest]

Never seen this guy play. Hope to see him playing and playing well, real soon! Sick and tired of all the Fakmals

[Top Spinner]

one for the future.

[Saj]

Given the Champions Trophy provisional squad, Rizwan seems to be second choice now in limited overs cricket and in Test cricket.

I think they'll go with Kamran Akmal for the Champions Trophy, but if he has a poor tournament then we could well be seeing Rizwan later this year for Pakistan.

[shah_1]

^^ I think it also depend how both preforms for their department sides in OD competition

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Originally Posted by shah_1 ^^ I think it also depend how both preforms for their department sides in OD competition

the only way i see rizwan coming in is if kamra flops completely and rizwan makes some big scores

[Asif321]

Rizwan can get selected as he has support of misbah .. he only has to do well in odi cup
then baaki kaptaan ji pe chordho

[Top Spinner]

Muhammad Rizwan is in sngpl squad?

[Saj]

Rizwan is currently playng for SNGPL ahead of Adnan Akmal.

Good innings from him today against PQA.

[zabalestmsm]

He deserves a go.. His domestic record is worthy of his selection... For the tour of Ireland he should be tested before the Champions Trophy.. Today he also scored 83 runs in the List-A game for Sui Gas..

[akheR]

^interesting, minus , all batsmen (incl. 4 Test caps) failed and he got 83 @ SR of 90 with nine 4s, it means that he can find the gapes and rotate the strike, a concept missing in Pak batting since a while and which is a sin in modern ODI cricket.

[farazaidi]

His innings today couldnt have come at a better time !

I hope he gets to play Champions trophy, looks like the real deal !

[disc]

Originally Posted by Asif321 Rizwan can get selected as he has support of misbah .. he only has to do well in odi cup then baaki kaptaan ji pe chordho

misbah is the problem, rizwan was batting at number 8 for the previous games, misbah then has eshan adil has 5th change in t20's, the only way these guys can get into the team is to keep getting runs and wickets,