Mohammad Rizwan: Frantic, fidgety but a fighter through and through

11th November 2021, Dubai. Australia and Pakistan have barged their way into the T20 World Cup semi-final, with their respective trysts with destiny awaiting. The Dubai International Stadium is packed to the rafters. Commentators can barely hear what their peers are saying. Sign language is prevalent among the players. The stage is set for an absolute humdinger.

Pakistan, much to the dismay of millions back home, lose the toss. Usually, it spells doom at Dubai, considering how dew plays a part and how the pitch seemingly assists bowlers at the start. Babar Azam, slightly dejected and disappointed, signals to the dressing room that they will have to bat first.

A hushed silence across the ground ensues. Pakistan come to grips with their reality and prepare themselves to stave off the inevitable. Remember, the Men In Green haven’t defeated Australia in an ICC knockout game. Ever.

Now, they have to graft against the conditions and have to tempt fate. Perhaps not the most enviable task Pakistan will ever encounter. But, with the way their campaign has transpired, it is probably the most opportune moment to rewrite history.

Babar, as has been the norm over the past couple of years, strides out to the centre and imposes himself almost immediately. He creams a cover drive – a shot that is met with rapturous applause at Dubai. Babar also brings out the deft leg-side glances and fetches himself a couple of boundaries.

At the other end, though, there is a stocky batter who is looking anything but the part. He seems frenzied at every possible moment and seems to have been thrown into a glorified net session he simply wasn’t ready for. A couple of inside edges follow, he hops around like a cat on a hit tin roof and seems to be doing everything to get dismissed.

The Pakistan fans in the aisles are wondering who this imposter could be. On one hand, Babar – the epitome of languidness is making the situation feel like just another club game, whereas this particular individual is keeping each spectator on the edge of his/her seat.

Literally anything could happen as long as this right-handed batter is at the crease. Pakistan could be dented in the Power Play. Pakistan could also break free from the Australian shackles. Nothing can be predicted though.

In the 5th over, something does happen. It isn’t what the Pakistan fans are dreading, however. Instead, they witness the short, stocky guy wearing No.16, plant his front foot across his stumps and absolutely crunch Josh Hazlewood over deep square leg.

Instantly, the Pakistan faithful shake a leg at the stadium. They rejoice, the music blares out, the chants of “Pakistan Zindabad” are louder than ever.

Then, after a moment of brief tranquil, someone dares to ask – wait, is that batter Mohammad Rizwan? The batter who has single-handedly shouldered Pakistan’s batting burden in 2021?

For a minute, the crowd collectively rubs its eyes (obviously metaphorically). They try to gather more evidence because, well, the batter they had been seeing before the 5th over didn’t resemble someone who had plundered runs for fun in 2021.

An over later, those doubts are quelled once and for all. This time, Rizwan gets across his stumps and sweetly whips a full toss past deep backward square leg. The same process that followed the maximum repeats, although on this occasion, people are darn sure that Rizwan – the counter-punching hero Pakistan have fallen in love with, has truly arrived.

Mohammad Rizwan started sluggishly against Australia

For a large chunk of Rizwan’s innings against Australia, he looked fidgety at the crease. In the Power Play alone, he played several false strokes, was lucky with a couple of inside edges and even had a catch dropped by David Warner (of all people).

Yet, like Rizwan almost always does, he weathered that storm, assessed the situation thereafter and morphed into the astonishing T20I batter who has made countless jaws drop in 2021.

As far as numbers are concerned, Rizwan currently has 1033 T20I runs in 2021 alone. No other batter has ever managed such a tally in a calendar year. No batter has ever crossed the 1000-run mark too. In fact, when Rizwan was dismissed for 67 by Mitchell Starc, his average for the year dropped. Remarkable, isn’t it?

Pakistan v Scotland - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

Speaking of his knock alone, there were the odd moments where Rizwan made people question of much of franticness was too much, even for Rizwan. There were scampered singles, some more scrambled doubles and, of course, a few innovative shots that went awry.

When the opportunities presented themselves, Rizwan capitalized. Not only did he pick and choose his match-ups brilliantly, he ensured that the bowlers were always kept guessing.

In a nutshell, he, much like a spring, absorbed all the initial pressure before rising almost immediately – of course, with greater force than what had been applied by the opposition.

Rizwan’s determination shone through against Australia – a feature that has defined his nascent international career. And, seems well on course to be emblematic of his cricketing journey henceforth.

Apart from battling through tough circumstances at Dubai, which included a swollen face, Rizwan also had to overcome a severe chest infection – an infection that had kept him marooned in a hospital for two days. If some reports are to be believed, he was also shifted to an ICU for a brief while.

From that perspective, it was a herculean effort to just reach the ground, let alone bat 17.2 overs and then keep for 19 overs. Rizwan also notched up a decent score with the bat, which on any other day, would’ve tilted the game firmly in Pakistan’s favour.

Thus, it feels that Rizwan is more than just a cricketer for Pakistan and that his runs are worth more than what the actual numbers suggest. Though he has scored a truckload of runs anyway, the character he has showcased throughout has been refreshing for Pakistan.

To an extent, Rizwan has even embodied what the Men In Green stand for – innate aggression, frenzied one minute – fantastic the other and unwavering belief, irrespective of what the circumstances are.

There will be occasions when Rizwan, owing to his “I will do everything at 200 mph come what may” may seem a little overwhelming, even for his own team.

During those stretches, he might look anything but a top-level cricketer – a cricketer who always seems to have a roadmap in his head on how to approach the game. He may seem one of the millions who want to play for Pakistan too. Yet, he will also seem a “one in a billion” talent.

Over the past couple of years, Rizwan has proven that he is a street-fighter – one willing to roll up his sleeves and do literally anything for Pakistan. Incredibly enough, people felt that way too when Rizwan was trying to jab and stab his way past the Australian bowlers.

Thankfully for Pakistan, he seems to have evolved a mechanism where the franticness and fidgetiness gives way to something more fine and subtle. When that happens, his enthusiasm and appetite for a fight is so infectious that it can’t be quantified by raw statistics.

Mohammad Rizwan might be down one minute and up the next moment – much like Pakistan cricket. Yet, you can bet that he will never be down for too long.

He may be occasionally ordinary, but excessively extraordinary. Unusual for most cricketers. Not for Rizwan though.