In a significant development, Captain Mohammad Rizwan has announced that ace batter Babar Azam will open the innings for Pakistan in their first Champions Trophy encounter against New Zealand.
Led by Rizwan, Pakistan will kickstart their Champions Trophy campaign with a high-voltage encounter against New Zealand at National Stadium in Karachi.
Mohammad Rizwan spoke about Babar Azam’s role as an opener, stating, "We have options, but depending on the conditions, Babar usually opens. He is satisfied with the role and will continue to open.”
Rizwan also expressed the shared desire of the Pakistan team to win a title, emphasizing that it’s not just his and Babar’s wish. "Believe me, every player is close to this desire that Allah grants us the title,” Rizwan said. "For that, the necessary things are being done by the players; they are working hard.”
Read: Babar Azam asked fans to stop calling him ‘King’
Despite facing a decade of challenges with no international teams visiting Pakistan, Rizwan acknowledged the team’s resilience. "We have suffered for 10 years, and no team came to Pakistan to play matches,” he shared. "However, even during that time, the Pakistan team gave good results.”
He highlighted the team’s continued efforts to overcome any shortcomings. "There should be no doubt that we lack abilities or players. Yes, we can say that there may be some shortcomings on any given day, but we are doing our best to overcome those shortcomings.”
On Haris Rauf’s performance, Rizwan praised his fitness, saying, "Haris Rauf bowled 8 overs yesterday, and the day before that, he had bowled 60%. Today, he is bowling with full rhythm… He has worked hard in the gym and during net practice as well.”
Rizwan also emphasized the unity and collective responsibility of the team: "For me, the real happiness comes when the entire team is involved in the performance and when the match is won. All 15 players in my team are captains of the Pakistan team.”
