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The Pakistan cricket team was knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the Super 8 stage after producing a deplorable brand of cricket throughout the campaign. As the team undergoes another major shake-up due to below-par performances in the global event, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has even planned to impose a hefty penalty on the players. Yet, Pakistan’s veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan downplayed the team’s embarrassing performances in the T20 World Cup, saying they were eliminated only because of Net Run Rate (NRR).<\/p>\n
During a nets session, Rizwan engaged in a casual conversation with a reporter, who sought his views on Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign. When the topic of each Pakistani player being handed a PKR 50 lakh penalty by the board came up, Rizwan said that even journalists should be fined for portraying players in a certain way.<\/p>\n
“The players have been fined, but journalists should be fined too,” he said. “You people should also pay the penalty – your situation is no different.”<\/p>\n
“The world will see players the way you portray them,” the wicketkeeper-batter added, suggesting that the perception of players like Babar Azam<\/a>, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Salman Ali Agha largely depends on how the media presents them.<\/p>\n “At the same time, there is no doubt that you people also defend the team a lot,” Rizwan then acknowledged.<\/p>\n Rizwan found no reason for embarrassment over Pakistan’s exit from the T20 World Cup in the Super 8 stage, saying even a team like Australia had once been beaten by Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n “Pakistan went out of the event on net run rate, not because of losing outright,” he said, while also citing cricket’s unpredictability by referring to how even strong teams can suffer unexpected outcomes, mentioning Zimbabwe’s surprise result against Australia as an example.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Rizwan – Pakistan got eliminated from the WC because of net run rate.<\/p>\n Journalist – But the match against Sri Lanka went really bad for us.<\/p>\n Rizwan – It doesn’t matter. In the end we won that match, that’s what counts.<\/p>\n Journalist – But look at the brand of cricket India is\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6IeijxYTMy<\/a><\/p>\n