Former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif expressed his annoyance at Pakistan’s team management for pulling off Mohammad Rizwan as wicketkeeper on account of their defeat against England in the T20I series. The T20 World Cup 2024 is to be commenced soon and the former captain of the Green squad opined that it would be an absolute privilege for the Men in Green to have an experienced player like Rizwan on their side which might lead an upper hand following their progress in their upcoming fixtures.
Mohammad Rizwan solely played as a batter in his preceding five matches in addition to the T20I series against England and Ireland. The latter has a record of 58 dismissals where 11 are stumping and 47 are catches in the shortest format of the game.
You have Mohammad Rizwan as wicket-keeper in the squad- Rashid Latif
The outburst of rage comes from the unsuccessful performance of Azam Khan in his two outings against England ahead of the ICC event. The orthodox batter presented himself with a score of 11 and a duck. The latter also dropped Will Jacks’ catch in the fourth and the final T20I vs England.
On Saturday, June 1 a video was shared in X (formerly Twitter) where Latif mentioned:
“You have Usman Khan and Mohammad Rizwan as wicket-keepers in the squad, apart from Azam Khan. Wicket-keeping should be done by someone who watches the game from behind the stumps, someone who is a senior.”
The 55-year-old further stated:
“Rizwan has been doing it for four years, and you just sacked him away from a role he was performing so effectively. The captain needs the wicket-keeper’s help the most, more than any other player on the pitch.”
“There will be no communication” – Pakistan’s Rashid Latif on Azam Khan’s lean patch affecting his wicketkeeping ahead of T20 World Cup
Rashid Latif highlighted the fact that Azam Khan’s poor performance with the bat has hampered his wicketkeeping skills because of the surrounding pressure. He said:
“Azam Khan has been dropping catches, and is under immense pressure to perform, even the basics. How will he gather the guts to advise the captain on anything? There will be no communication.”
Former Pakistan cricketer turned commentator, Ramiz Raza has shared a similar point of view and advised to prioritize Mohammad Rizwan as the first choice for wicketkeeping ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. Raza recently mentioned on his YouTube channel:
“Let Rizwan do wicketkeeping and open with him as well. Babar should be his opening partner. You can play an extra all-rounder in Azam Khan’s place or a specialist batter.”
Pakistan will commence their ICC T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on June 6.
Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Pakistan Legend Wasim Akram Takes Swipe At India’s T20 World Cup Priorities