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Rizwan after India's defeat: For now, it's over
Rizwan after India's defeat: For now, it's over
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan reacts after the defeat to India.
India's recent loss, Rizwan expressed his sentiments: "For the time being, it seems that this chapter has come to an end.
Mohammad Rizwan has admitted that Pakistan is almost out of the Champions Trophy after a tough six-wicket loss to India in Dubai, following their 60-run defeat in the opening game against New Zealand.
The defending champions have only one game left against Bangladesh and now have to rely on other teams' results to make it to the last four. This is a situation Pakistan has faced frequently in recent tournaments, and it's not something Rizwan likes.
"For now, we can say it's over," Rizwan said after the game. "That's the reality. We'll see what Bangladesh does against New Zealand, what New Zealand does against India, and then what we do. It's a long road and depends on other teams."
"As a captain, I don't like relying on other teams. If you are good enough, you show it by winning and controlling your own fate. I don't enjoy waiting for other teams and worrying about their results. What's important is that India and New Zealand defeated us. They played well, and we didn't. If we get a chance to advance, then so be it."
Rizwan admitted that the team will have to answer tough questions about their performance. Their exit is confirmed if New Zealand defeats Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Monday, marking the third consecutive ICC white-ball tournament where they've been eliminated before the knockout stages.
Rizwan, who became the white-ball captain late last year, led the team to ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa. He expressed frustration over the team's recurring mistakes, similar to those in recent losses during a tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa and their opening game here.
His performance today—a 77-ball 46—will face scrutiny, much like Babar Azam's innings in the opening loss. His innings were slow until a late acceleration, but his dismissal was one of three quick wickets that disrupted Pakistan's momentum.
"When you lose, you're obviously disappointed and it's a difficult time with tough questions," he said. "We made mistakes in all three areas, which is why we lost today.
"In our team meeting yesterday, we aimed for 270-280, considering the slow outfield and pitch. If we had reached 280, the result might have been different. Saud [Shakeel] and I were building a partnership, which took some time, but our shot selection was poor afterwards. That allowed them to take wickets and put pressure on our middle order. They capitalised on it, and we couldn't stabilise ourselves."
Rizwan admitted that Pakistan has been repeating the same mistakes in the last few matches and that their effort was not as strong as India's. He mentioned the team's errors in batting, fielding, and energy levels. He also talked about the loss of key players like Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, which affected their performance.
Rizwan expressed frustration over having only one specialist spinner in the squad, Abrar Ahmed, despite his good performance. He explained that in ODIs, they can't have five genuine bowlers, and they had to rely on a mix of bowlers and all-rounders instead. He acknowledged that there would be questions about their team composition but stated that having five bowlers isn't practical in ODIs.
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