Mohammad Rizwan has been criticised for his strike rate in the T20 format my many including former Pakistan cricketers. While Rizwan has been top performer for Pakistan in the format in terms of runs scored, they have not been considered as impactful as the wicketkeeper-batter had hoped. The opener is currently representing Comilla Victorians in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2023 but has not scored runs at a brisk rate. Despite an ODI-like strike rate in ongoing BPL 2023, the 30-year-old has revealed that he has been asked by franchises to play the anchor role which sometimes looks very embarrassing.
"It is very difficult role (anchor role in shortest format) and sometimes it looks very embarrassing," Rizwan told reporters. "What my experience says and what I know is that whenever someone hires me, they demand me to play the anchor role like the way I do in Pakistan.
"I always assess the condition, assess the opponent and do these kinds of things (anchoring the innings) and sometimes it is embarrassing because in T20 everyone knows we love sixes and they want me to score 60-70 runs from 35-45 balls, but for me it is important to win the match.”
The second-ranked T20I batter also revealed that he idolises former South Africa batter AB de Villiers but has to refrain from playing risky shots due to the role he has been given by Pakistan and T20 franchises.
"You can look at the scoreboard and see what the team demand from you. Basically for me, my cricket idol is AB De Villiers and I look at him very closely and his performances in Test cricket and T20 as well and that's why I also try to play according to the demand of the team,” the opener said.
"In T20 cricket, sometimes you can go with slow strike rate because sometimes in T20 you are in a position where they (opposition) are looking to take wickets. You can go slow (when you've lost a couple of wickets) but when the team needs you to hit the long ball, you can go with the momentum. For me, assessing the time is important (when to break free) and thankfully, most of the time, I am successful."
In T20 World Cup 2022, Rizwan had scored 175 runs from seven innings at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 109.38 which included just three sixes. In his last appearance for Victorians he carried his bat and scored 55 from 47 deliveries. While he hit three sixes in his unbeaten knock, his first four came in the 20th over of the innings.
