PAK vs ZIM: Mohammad Rizwan opens up after dominant win in second ODI against Zimbabwe

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has reflected on his team's impressive performance after securing a dominant 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second ODI of their three-match series at Queens Sports Club on Tuesday.

In the post-match presentation, Rizwan emphasized the team's focus on moving forward, leaving past performances behind. "The past is past. If I'm talking to you right now, that's also in the past. We are focusing on the next game," Rizwan stated. He lauded the efforts of his bowlers, especially Abrar Ahmed, Faisal, and others, while highlighting the exceptional innings played by Saim Ayub.

Rizwan had special praise for Abrar Ahmed, who had a stellar outing, claiming four wickets for 33 runs. "He is a very talented and exceptional player. Unfortunately, he was injured in the last couple of years, but what he did today is just 70% of his talent. We expect him to perform 100% in the future," Rizwan said.

Player of the Match, Saim Ayub, who played a match-winning knock of 113* runs off 62 balls, also shared his thoughts. "We already forgot the first game, and we will forget this game as well. We will focus on the present and think about one day at a time," he said. Ayub explained the challenges of batting on a slow and sticky wicket, adding, "The wicket in the first game was stoppy, and the weather also changed. Today, it was slower and stoppy. I had to be careful as I couldn't play all the shots. We practice for all types of wickets, not just for slow wickets."

Pakistan chased down Zimbabwe's 146 in just 18.2 overs, with Ayub's century leading the way. The innings, which saw Pakistan reach the target without losing a wicket, was the third-fastest century by a Pakistani in ODIs.

Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for 145 in 32.4 overs, were unable to cope with Pakistan's dominance. Abrar Ahmed’s four-wicket haul and Ayub’s blistering century helped Pakistan level the series 1-1, with one more match to go.

The series is now finely poised, and the teams will look to build on their performances as they head into the final ODI.