Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan ‘keeper-bat admitted on Sunday that sometimes he is embarrassed to fill the anchor role in the shortest format.
Rizwan, who is playing for Comilla Victorians in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, feels that everywhere he is picked in the franchise-based T20 cricket tournament, he is asked to stay at the wicket without taking too much risk in order to make sure other batters can play in their natural free-flowing style without worrying too much about what is happening at the other end.
“It is very difficult role (anchor role in shortest format) and sometimes it looks very embarrassing,” Rizwan told reporters. “What my experience says and what I know is that whenever someone hires me, they demand me to play the anchor role like the way I do in Pakistan.
“I always assess the condition, assess the opponent and do these kinds of things (anchoring the innings) and sometimes it is embarrassing because in T20 everyone knows we love sixes and they want me to score 60-70 runs from 35-45 balls, but for me to win the match. He added that the number two T20I hitter chose to lock the inning because he knew he could accelerate his run rate later in the inning.
Unlike his other T20 hitters who are among the best in the world, Rizwan refrains from over-the-top shots.
“If you look at the scoreboard, you know what the team wants. Basically, my idol in cricket is AB De Villiers. That’s why I challenge myself to play according to the team’s demands.
“In T20 cricket, you can go with a slow batting average because your opponent (opponent) can be in a position trying to take the wicket. You can play slow (if you lose a few wickets), but you can build momentum if your team needs to hit long balls. Timing (when I am released) is important to me and fortunately I am mostly successful. “