Shahid Afridi lauds ‘patient’ Mohammad Rizwan

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has heaped praise on wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, after the latter’s prolific performances in the recent past.

Speaking on SAMAA TV’s show Game Set Match, Afridi highlighted Rizwan’s patient attitude as the reason behind his astounding success on the field.

“I think the reason why he [Mohammad Rizwan] has been successful is because he was patient during the difficult phase [when he was out of the side] of his career,” said Afridi. “Despite being on the sidelines, he continued to put in the hard yards rather than shifting his focus to something like social media, which some of our players do in order to get back into the team. Rizwan knew that only performance on the field will allow him to make a comeback.”

“Mental toughness is another major reason behind Rizwan’s success and I hope that he continues his match-winning performances for Pakistan,” he added.   

Afridi also shed light on Pakistan’s improved performance, since the change in team management, after the exit of Misbahul Haq-led coaching staff.

“The management’s task is to support the players rather than putting pressure on them. The good thing about this management is that they have given a free hand to the captain [Babar Azam], who has taken the responsibility and is delivering on the field,” he said.

“Previously, we didn’t have match-winners but now there is a different match-winner in every game which is a great sign for the team,” he added.   

Afridi, who has joined SAMAA TV as Director Sports, is keen on promoting the talent in Pakistan through the channel.

“I’m lucky to be on a platform where I can promote the future heroes of Pakistan. The talent in Pakistan in not just restricted to cricket, there are athletes in other sports as well who can shine for the country if we give them the necessary support. Through this show, I want to share with the entire world that this country has a lot of talent,” he concluded.