Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has shared his thoughts on his rivalry with Mohammad Rizwan, acknowledging Rizwan as the superior wicketkeeper-batsman at present.
Speaking on a sports show, Sarfaraz highlighted Rizwan's growth and maturity, stating that his overall game has significantly improved over time.
“Mohammad Rizwan has become more mature with time. The way he has been playing, everything about him has improved,” said Sarfaraz.
“So, I think, currentty he is the better wicketkeeper batter,” he added.
He emphasized the importance of consistent opportunities for players to build confidence and performance, refuting any suggestion of lesser effort on his part compared to Rizwan.
“When I was playing, the performance was almost alike. [It’s just that] when you play consistently, your confidence grows,” stated Sarfaraz.
“And, as I said earlier in international cricket, the more you play, the more you’ll get better.
“So that’s the reason, like when I played, I gave some good performances. And now the way Rizwan is playing and getting consistent chances, he is growing in confidence and getting better and better.”
Sarfaraz also offered advice to young wicketkeeper-batsmen like Azam Khan, Mohammad Haris, Haseebullah Khan, Rohail Nazir, and Saad Baig, urging them to gain experience through regular participation in domestic cricket to excel on the international stage.
“Look, the wicketkeepers we have like Azam, Haris and Haseebullah, apart from them Rohail Nazir was in the pipeline. There are more kids like Saad Baig from Under-19.
“So, we have the potential and the more they play cricket, especially four-day domestic, the more they’ll get experience and will perform well for Pakistan,” he concluded.