Pakistani wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan is a character that cricket needs. Apart from his top-class batting and keeping performances, he keeps the mood light on the field as well, which was seen during the Pakistan vs. Bangladesh ICC World Cup 2023 match in Kolkata on Tuesday.
The DRS has been a bane for teams in this tournament with it often churning out faulty results and once was even corrected as well.
However, it’s the wicketkeeper’s job to help the captain make an informed decision to opt for the review or not. Many keepers keep a keen eye on the ball and trajectory and everything else like MS Dhoni, who is excellent at taking his reviews.
However, during this match, Mohammad Rizwan decided to eliminate every doubt and directly asked the batter before deciding on review.
In the 43rd over of the Bangladesh innings, Shaheen Afridi attempted a yorker to Taskin Ahmed, a lower-order batter. The ball slid down the leg side but clipped the pad on its way to the wicketkeeper. Shaheen appealed for a caught behind but the on-field umpire shot it down.
Shaheen longingly looked at Babar Azam, who sought the opinion of Mohammad Rizwan. The wicketkeeper-batter asked Taskin if he had edged it because he was unsure if there was an edge or not. Taskin said that the ball brushed his pads rather than his bat.
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Rizwan's plan astonished on-air commentators Ravi Shastri and Waqar Younis, who were surprised that Rizwan sought the assistance of the batter.
This unconventional manner of making judgements in the intensely competitive environment of an international cricket match elicited both chuckles and raised eyes.
Pakistan eventually decided against taking the review, and for good reason: the ball was well away from Taskin's bat, backing the umpire's first call.
Bangladesh posted 204 runs with Mahmudullah top-scoring with 56. For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim took three wickets apiece.
In response, Abdullah Shafique (68) and Fakhar Zaman (81) ensured that Pakistan won the match with 7 wickets in hand and 105 balls remaining. This result meant that Bangladesh was knocked out of the race for the semi-finals, while Pakistan improved their net run rate.
