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'Need to Increase It...' - Misbah-ul-Haq Wants Rizwan To Work On His Strike-Rate

Rizwan has come under the scanner for his poor strike-rate. (X.com)Rizwan has come under the scanner for his poor strike-rate. (X.com)

Former Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has criticized Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan for his poor strike-rate and has offered valuable advice, saying that he must work to improve it.

Rizwan performed well during the 2023 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), but faced criticism from fans and pundits for his slow strike rate. Once again, in the PSL 2024 matches, the 31-year-old cricketer maintained a cautious approach with the bat, especially during the powerplay overs. 

Playing his third consecutive final as the captain of the Multan Sultans, Rizwan was disappointed by scoring only 26 runs. The concern wasn't just about the low score but also the manner in which he accumulated those runs, finishing his innings with a strike rate of 100.

Despite being the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 407 runs at an average of 33.91, Rizwan's strike rate of 122.22 attracted criticism. During an interview with Cricket Pakistan, the former Pakistani skipper, Misbah commented on Rizwan's batting approach, acknowledging his desire to play longer innings but suggesting that he needs to adjust his batting pace accordingly.

“Mohammad Rizwan is trying to play a longer innings, but the batting pace required is a bit slower. He will need to increase it,”  Misbah-ul-Haq said in an interview with Cricket Pakistan.

While Rizwan is very consistent when it comes to T20 cricket, his strike rate has always been a cause for concern. Not just in the PSL, but even his strike rate in T20Is has been around 128, which again does not match the demands of a fast-paced format like T20. 

He is an indispensable part of Pakistan’s T20I team, but given that he's going to open in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be played in June later this year, he must work on his strike rate by maximizing the powerplay overs.