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Rizwan rips Proteas attack apart

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Pakistan, in all their conventional unconventionality, entrusted Mohammed Rizwan to replace the world’s No 2 T20 batsman and captain Babar Azam at the top of the order

Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan (R) plays a shot during the first Twenty20 cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore on February 11, 2021. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)

Pakistan: 169/6

(Rizwan 104*, Phehlukwayo 2/23)

South Africa: 166/6

(Hendricks 54, Malan 44, Qadir 2/22)

Result: Pakistan won by 3 runs

MOHAMMAD Rizwan would not be most teams’ first-choice T20 opener. In fact, his T20 franchise, the Karachi Kings, deemed him surplus to requirements in the Pakistan Super League.

But yet Pakistan, in all their conventional unconventionality, entrusted him to replace the world’s No 2 T20 batsman and captain Babar Azam at the top of the order for the last series against New Zealand.

It is a decision that has reaped rewards that not even the most loyal Rizwan supporter could have imagined. In Pakistan’s last T20 prior to the South African series, he masterminded a brilliant run-chase with a career best 89 off 59 balls against the Black Caps.

On Thursday he raised the bar even further with a match-winning 104 not out off just 64 balls, following on from his maiden Test ton last week.

The early loss of the returning Azam for a duck to a brilliant run out by Bjorn Fortuin off his own bowling did not deter him.

He remained unflustered and comfortable in his approach, which didn’t comprise of attacking the powerplay when fielding restrictions were in place. Instead he gauged the pace of the wicket and stayed calm – even when he had just 31 off 30 balls at the halfway stage of Pakistan’s innings.

He backed himself to catch up in the second half and it was evident in the fact that he required just a further 33 balls to reach three figures, achieved with his seventh six of the innings.

South Africa had chances to dismiss Rizwan, but this was only once he had reached the 90s with Junior Dala spilling a catch in the outfield.

Dala’s miss was actually something of a surprise as the Proteas had up until that point turned in their best fielding performance since arriving in Pakistan.

The youngsters who had flown in from SA infused the team with fresh energy and passion.

It filtered through to the batting unit with Janneman Malan (44 off 29 balls, 8×4, 1×6) racing out of the blocks. In complete contrast to Rizwan, the Cape Cobras star targeted the powerplay and was severe on anything short offered up by Pakistan’s seam bowlers. Malan was particularly harsh on Haris Rauf with the right-hander smashing four consecutive boundaries in the fifth over.

However, SA’s real test was always going to be how they dealt with Pakistan’s spinners. And once again it proved to be their Achilles heel.

Leg-spinner Usman Qadir – son of legendary Pakistan tweaker Abdul Qadir – could easily have followed in Imran Tahir’s footsteps by representing SA instead of the country of his birth having spent several seasons playing for Primrose Cricket Club in Cape Town during the early years of his career, but ultimately opted to return home via Australia when he was not granted any opportunities at franchise level.

Qadir certainly showed SA what they missed out on by completely bamboozling both Malan and debutant Jacques Snyman in an impressive first spell.

Reeza Hendricks tried to match Rizwan with a fighting half-century, but ultimately could not accelerate in the latter part of his innings like the little Pakistani wicket-keeper, which ultimately left too much for all-rounders Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius and Fortuin to catch up on at the death.

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