Karachi, April 19: Senior Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Rizwan on Sunday said he has no intentions of retiring from T20 cricket despite his current struggle, saying he is working to regain his old form and compete with other players for a spot in the national side in the format.
Rizwan has been facing a tough time in the ongoing Pakistan Super League after captaining Rawalpindiz to seven successive defeats and himself struggling for form.
“You only think about retiring when you know you can’t compete with others for a spot in the team,” he told a media conference in Karachi.
Rizwan was asked by a journalist whether he didn’t think his recent form should lead to his retirement to pave way for younger players.
The 33-year-old, who has not been selected for the Pakistan T20 squad since December 2024 but is active in foreign leagues and domestic level in the format, admitted that his recent performances had not been up to the standard. He also acknowledged that he himself had previously told teammates that such form did not justify him a place in the national side.
“Players are human beings and go through difficult phases in their career and it is no different for me. But I still love playing cricket in all formats and I have no intentions of giving up because of criticism directed at me,” he said.
The senior player said he in fact was committed to working harder and regaining his old form instead of thinking about retirement.
“I believe a player should only think about retirement when he himself knows that he has lost the ability to compete with others and has lost interest in cricket. I can still compete with others,” said Rizwan who has played 41 Tests, 103 ODIs and 106 T20 internationals. (PTI)
