NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider has expressed his happiness over Mohammad Rizwan’s appointment as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter began his captaincy tenure on a successful word, prominent Pakistan to a historical sequence victory in Australia all the way through a three-match ODI sequence.
Next dropping the opener on the Melbourne Cricket Farmland by means of two wickets, Pakistan made a robust comeback with commanding victories within the Adelaide and Perth ODIs, sealing the sequence 2-1. This marked Pakistan’s first sequence win in Australia since 2002.
Haider, who represented Pakistan in a single Check, 4 ODIs and 3 T20Is between 2007 and 2010, in comparison Rizwan’s captaincy taste to that of Republic of India’s mythical skipper MS Dhoni.
Rizwan used to be appointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain forward of the excursion of Australia.
“A wicketkeeper-captain is a big help for a team. MS Dhoni is the prime example. Adam Gilchrist was there, and Kumar Sangakkara was there too. A wicketkeeper is the only player in the playing eleven who has a 360-degree view of the field. He can assist the bowler in setting the field. Rizwan is doing the same. He is an effective batter, a good wicketkeeper, and now, a captain. This can help the team immensely. We saw that in Australia, where he played a big role in the team’s win. Pakistan should have taken this step a long time ago,” Haider informed TimesofIndia.com in an unique interview.
“Rizwan is following in Dhoni’s footsteps. If you look closely, the way he sets the field, guides the bowlers and encourages players, he gives a glimpse of the legendary Dhoni. Now that Rizwan is the captain, the boys need to be on the same page and support him. Pakistan needs to back Rizwan the way Team India supported Dhoni,” he added.
Haider additionally emphasized how Babar has benefited from relinquishing the captaincy.
“Babar Azam was overburdened — first with the captaincy, then the team’s performance, and finally his batting. The moment he gave up captaincy, his batting improved. Now we can see him playing freely, without any burden. This can happen to any player; it happened with Virat Kohli too. So we need to support players of such stature. Rizwan and Babar are good friends, and they complement each other well,” Haider mentioned.
The sequence additionally highlighted the brilliance of Pakistan’s pacer Haris Rauf, who claimed 10 wickets in 3 suits, together with a five-wicket haul. Haris earned two ‘Participant of the Fit’ awards and used to be named ‘Participant of the Sequence’ for his remarkable efficiency.
Haider credited Haris’ expansion as a bowler to his enjoy of bowling towards Virat Kohli all the way through the 2022 T20 International Cup. Kohli had crash two memorable sixes off Haris in a the most important over, serving to Republic of India retain a four-wicket win.
“Haris Rauf is a mature and experienced bowler. He has taken his game to another level, and time and again, he has proved himself. The over he bowled to Virat Kohli — I am sure he learned a lot from that. Bowling to Virat has made Haris Rauf a more mature bowler. That was a huge learning curve in his career, and I am certain he took many lessons from that match,” Haider mentioned.
“Haris was trolled, but he didn’t give up and came back stronger. His form against Australia was commendable, and it was great to see him back in superb touch,” he added.
‘LET’S KEEP POLITICS ASIDE’
Haider additionally voiced his ideas on Republic of India-Pakistan cricket members of the family and the then ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
“India should come to Pakistan. Let’s forget everything and start afresh,” he mentioned.
“Fans love India vs Pakistan cricket matches more than anything else in this world. Let’s love the game, not politics. Politics shouldn’t come between players and the sport. This will help cricket grow. I request both the BCCI and PCB to bridge the gap and play cricket the way we used to,” Haider signed off.
