I asked Babar to drop me and play Sarfaraz in NZ series: Rizwan

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, has revealed that he himself asked the team management to drop him from the recently-concluded home Test series against New Zealand and play former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed in his place.

While speaking to Cricket Pakistan in an exclusive interview, Rizwan said that he didn’t deserve his place in the playing XI after a dismal display with the bat in the home series against England Test series, in which the Pakistan team was whitewashed. 

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Rizwan scored 141 runs in six innings in the three-match series at an average of 23.50 and failed to score a single fifty score. 

“You can ask the head coach Saqlain Mushtaq that what I told him after the end of the England Test series,” said Rizwan, “I was happy to see Sarfaraz perform because that is what I wanted. I personally thought that since I wasn’t able to perform, I didn’t deserve to play in the next series.

Some players said that every player goes through this phase and you can’t sit on the bench based on few failures.” 

Rizwan further added that Sarfaraz deserved his place in the side based on his domestic performances.

“I went to the coach and captain myself and told them that you can drop me because I haven’t performed. Two players are witnesses to this conversation,” he said.

“Sarfaraz has been performing in domestic and deserves his chance now. So I was happy to see Sarfaraz perform because I asked for his inclusion. Whoever performs best for Pakistan deserves to play,” he concluded.

Sarfaraz hammered 335 runs at an incredible average of 83.75 in the two Tests and was the highest run-getter in the New Zealand series. He was also adjudged Player of the Series after his ton and half-century in the second Test against New Zealand.

Rizwan also described how he never feels demotivated after being dropped from an international or a domestic side. He cited an example from his time in Karachi Kings, where he had to sit out for most of the matches as Chadwick Walton was preferred ahead of him.

“I was never hurt when I was benched during PSL in the past. I thought they were honest with the team, and it was the team’s requirement at the time to keep me on the bench,” he said.