PSL 2023: Mohammad Rizwan unbothered by 'form'

KARACHI: Multan Sultans captain and Pakistan’s top wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has said that he doesn’t believe in having good form, the only thing that matters to him is hard work and he continues to do that.

In an exclusive interview with Geo News on the sidelines of the Sultans’ first training session in Karachi, the top-order batter spoke about the team's start in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL), his batting, and competition in the tournament.

“I don’t know what is meant by form and I am not interested in knowing it either. The only thing that I know and understand is hard work, and this is what I continue to do because you can achieve glory only through hard work, hard work always pays off,” said Rizwan.

“If you’re competing with another player, you should work harder than him. If you want to be on top, then you should be working harder than everyone, and this is not limited to your playing field only, you need to be disciplined in your life off the field as well,” said Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batsman.

He added that the change in his batting position — from the middle order to the top order — is the real reason behind the transformation of his batting in the last three years.

Replying to a question, Rizwan said that he still does the same shadow practice which went viral during T20 World Cup 2021.

"I do everything which can help me improve my game," he said.

Rizwan said that he is respectful to all the players on the field but at the same time, he has challenged all his opponents. However, he emphasised being humble to everyone.

“When you achieve anything, you shouldn’t act in arrogance, it is important to remain humble because this is something that our religion also teaches us,” he said.

“I remain humble, but if someone gets aggressive against me, then I can be equally aggressive at times,” he said.

Talking about Sultan’s start in the PSL, the captain said that he is happy with the way his team has played and being a captain he can’t ask for more.

Multan have won four out of five games in the tournament and they are on top of the points table.

“What more can I ask from this team, a very good start, players are gelled well and they are doing more than what I demand from them,” he said.

“It is not that we have won all matches as a one-sided game, all the games were nail-biting sans our game against Quetta where Ihsanullah created the difference with his unplayable bowling in one spell,” he said.

Rizwan said that it is not easy to control his nerves in a crunch situation and when such a situation arises, he tries to act bravely and leave the results to Allah’s will.

“When Abbas was smashed for a six off no-ball to start the final over against Karachi Kings, I went to him and said that he can become a hero if he manages to defend these runs,” Rizwan revealed.

He praised the competition level in PSL and said that all the teams are well-balanced and still any team can gather momentum and turn the tables.

“This is why PSL is the top league in the world,” he said.

Sultans’ captain added that the team is missing the presence of Shahnawaz Dahani and prayed for his quick recovery.

“Dahani is a different character, he is never under pressure no matter what the situation is. We are in contact with him and in fact, we spoke to him on video call ahead of our last game. I hope he gets well soon and returns with a bang,” Rizwan said.

The wicketkeeper batter said that he targets goals in each tournament but he opted not to disclose his goals for the PSL8.

“I keep my targets and goals to myself,” he concluded.

Rizwan led Multan Sultans next plays Karachi Kings in National Stadium on Sunday.