Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan is probably enjoying some of the best times of his international career in New Zealand – first, helping the Men in Green avoid a clean sweep in a three-match T20I series, and now will captain Pakistan in Test cricket for the first time ever.
With Pakistan’s newly appointed Test captain Babar Azam out with a broken thumb, the national team management showed immense faith on the in-form Rizwan and given a big responsibility to captain the team in the first Test of the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand.
On Tuesday (December 22), Rizwan played a career-best T20I knock of 89 off just 59 balls to help Pakistan won the third T20I by 4 wickets to avoid the series sweep against the Black Caps in Napier.
After being named Pakistan Test captain for the first Boxing Day Test against New Zealand starting December 29 at Bay Oval, the 28-year-old was over the moon for this honor.
Rizwan said at the post-match presentation: “Big honor for me to captain Pakistan. It's a big deal to play for the country, can't express my happiness at being captain.”
He further said, “The management has trusted me a lot, this was the first time I opened in internationals, I have done so in domestic cricket, but I knew I had it in me to perform and was well backed by the management. This win is for our supporters, they have backed us a lot.”
On the final T20I win and his show, the batsman said: “This win is good, we lost the series, but this game was important ahead of the Tests, wanted to take some momentum going into it.”
(With ANI Inputs)
