"Mohammad Rizwan is a bulb that brightens the whole team": Saqlain Mushtaq ahead of IND vs PAK 2022

Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq hailed opener Mohammad Rizwan for the positivity that he brings to the team. Through his consistent performances, Rizwan has quickly become an integral part of the Pakistan team across formats.

Mushtaq spoke about how Rizwan doesn't let any negative thoughts enter the dressing room and how his calm nature always helps the team in crunch situations.

The wicketkeeper-batter was the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in this format in 2021, and his confidence seems to have rubbed off on his teammates.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, here's what Saqlain Mushtaq had to say about Rizwan's influence in the Pakistan dressing room:

"Mohammad Rizwan is a spiritual person and that has helped his cricket. He doesn't have even one percent of negativity in his talks and he is like a bulb that brightens the whole room."

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Mohammad Rizwan is a superhuman: Saqlain Mushtaq

Saqlain Mushtaq has closely observed the way Pakistani players prepare for a game and has been highly impressed with the way Rizwan goes about his pre-match routines.

The 45-year-old opined that Rizwan focuses on the process and isn't affected by whatever the outcome of the game is. This has helped the opener bring even more consistency to his game.

On this, Saqlain Mushtaq stated:

"Rizwan's work ethic is head and shoulders above that of others. He believes in working hard and then accepting whatever fruit he gets from it. He is a phenomenal player and a superhuman."

Pakistan's Asia Cup squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Hasnain, and Usman Qadir.

Will the absence of pacer Shaheen Afridi severely affect Pakistan? Are they overdependent on Rizwan and Babar Azam? Let us know in the comments.