Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has disclosed that he personally asked the team management to drop him from the recently-ended Test series against New Zealand and play Sarfaraz Ahmed in his place.
While giving an exclusive interview to www.cricketpakistan.com.pk, Rizwan said that his poor performance during the home Test series against England made him unworthy.
In the three-match series, Mohammad Rizwan scored 141 runs in six innings at an average of 23.50.
"You can ask the head coach Saqlain Mushtaq what I told him after the end of the England Test series," said Mohammad Rizwan. "I personally thought that since I wasn’t able to perform, I didn’t deserve to play in the next series," he added.
He said that a few colleagues gave him support over his decision and tried to motivate him. Rizwan said that Sarfaraz deserved his place based on his domestic performances.
"I went to the coach and captain myself and told them that you can drop me because I haven’t performed. Two players are witnesses to this conversation," he said.
"Sarfaraz has been performing in the domestic and deserves his chance now. Whoever performs best for Pakistan deserves to play," he concluded.
Sarfaraz hammered 335 runs at an incredible average of 83.75 in the two Tests and was the highest run-getter in the New Zealand series. He was also adjudged Player of the series after his ton and half-century in the second Test against New Zealand.
Rizwan also described how he never feels demotivated after being dropped from an international or domestic side. He recalled an example from his time with the Karachi Kings, where he had to sit out for most of the matches because Chadwick Walton was preferred ahead of him.
"I was never hurt when I was benched during PSL in the past. I thought they were honest with the team, and it was the team’s requirement at the time to keep me on the bench," he said.