Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has responded to criticism around his lack of good performances in T20 format following Rawalpindiz falling out of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 playoffs race. Rizwan said that he knows that based on his Big Bash League (BBL) performances, he does not deserve a place in the Pakistan T20I team.
“When I was playing in the Big Bash League, after I got selected, I clearly said there that based on this performance, I don’t deserve a place in the Pakistan team. I was the same person sitting in front of you, and you people were the ones who said I couldn’t hit sixes, if you remember," Rizwan said in the post-match press conference.
When the journalist was asking the question, the media manager tried to stop it. However, Rizwan asked him to let the reporter complete his question. It seemed like that he wanted to address the chatter on social media and among former cricketers.
He revealed that he told Lahore Qalandars' Haris Rauf that he said the same thing as well.
"Even now, I’m being honest — Haris Rauf is sitting right behind, and if we had that conversation, he is a witness. When we were having dinner there, I told Haris that with my current performance in the Big Bash League, I don’t deserve a place in the Pakistan team. The words he said to me at that time, I can’t repeat — but he knows," he stated.
Rizwan always ready for tough questions
Rizwan pointed out that he has never shied away from accepting his mistakes. However, he wishes to play for Pakistan. If he doesn’t perform, his place should be given to juniors.
"I want to say this: we are all human. I admitted from the beginning that I made mistakes and my performance hasn’t been up to the mark. But that doesn’t mean I’ll lose courage, sit down in front of you defeated, or quit cricket. If I have the strength, I will continue. If not, I have even gone to the Pakistan captain before and said that my performance isn’t good and that my juniors should be given a chance," he said.
Rizwan further said that he is ready to face tough questions. He went on to say that if people think he should retire at the age of 33, he will.
"I’ve said this many times — even when Sarfaraz Ahmed was with the team. And I will still say it again. I’m not afraid of questions, and I’m not afraid of the media. If something is not right in me, then it isn’t. And if you think I should retire at this age, I will," said the out-of-form batter.
Rizwan vows to improve
Amid lack of form, Rizwan has vowed to make a strong comeback as he doesn't know anything other than playing cricket.
"For me, cricket is passion — it comes first. Whether it’s T20Is, Tests, or ODIs, I love cricket. I play because I don’t know anything else in life. I have no business, and I don’t play any other sport," he said.
"Yes, I’ve failed right now. I’m sitting here in front of you without performance. Maybe I didn’t work hard enough. Perhaps I’ll come back stronger with more effort and face you again. But right now, my hard work wasn’t enough — and that’s why you see these results,” he concluded.
After the PSL 2026, Rizwan will have a chance to regain his form in another format. Pakistan will tour Bangladesh for a two-Test series next month. The Rawalpindiz skipper is likely to join the squad early as his team has been knocked out of the playoffs race.
In 2025, Rizwan played five Tests, scoring 360 runs from 10 innings at an average of 36. He scored two half-centuries in the format. It was his worst year with the bat since 2019.
Rizwan’s T20 numbers in 2026
In year 2025, Rizwan has managed to score 242 runs from 14 innings at an average of 17.28 and strike rate of 107.07. In the ongoing PSL 2026, the wicketkeeper-batter has scored 107 runs from seven innings at an average of 15.28 and strike rate of 116.30. His best came in Rawalpindiz's campaign opener, scoring 41 runs from 32 balls in a high-scoring encounter.