During a cricket match that was underway with 36 overs, Mohammad Rizwan went out to bat when the ball went beyond the off-stump of Mathisha Pathiran. He didn’t wear a box, and the umpire signaled it as a wide. However, while going to play the ball, Rizwan suffered from a cramp. He quickly returned to the field after receiving initial treatment and resumed his batting. At that point, he had scored 82 runs.
In the following over, after hitting a six, Rizwan once again felt severe pain due to cramps and had to seek medical attention. Despite all these difficulties, Rizwan did not leave the field. He persevered through the pain and led his team to victory, scoring an exceptional 131 runs in 121 balls. Former Pakistani cricketers praised Rizwan’s performance, with Wasim Akram calling him the “Lionheart.”
After the match, during a TV talk show, Akram said, “Rizwan is a player with a lion’s heart. He was suffering from cramps, but he kept on playing for his country. It is evident how much he was willing to sacrifice for his nation. The entire Pakistan team is proud of him.”
Former wicketkeeper-batsman, Moin Khan, also praised Rizwan’s extraordinary innings, saying, “Rizwan played an outstanding innings. He is a very intelligent cricketer. What it truly means to fight is what he showed. Despite having cramps, his determination to win was remarkable.”
Explaining the pain of cramps, Wasim Akram mentioned, “Cramps can be quite painful. You won’t understand until you experience it. Playing with cramps is very challenging. If you get cramps in your legs, it affects your concentration during a shot, and you might end up hitting the ball over the slips.”
Shoaib Malik added, “When you have cramps, you tend to forget everything else. Even though he was batting so well, you can forget about those runs. Rizwan didn’t let that affect him; he stood his ground. That mindset shows how much he wanted to win.”
In 2023, Rizwan had an impressive year, averaging 75.18 in 18 matches, scoring a total of 827 runs. Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq explained why Rizwan is exceptional, saying, “If you have a fighting spirit within, you become more cautious in tough situations. Rizwan’s performance reflects this. When a challenge arises, his performance improves further. This is great for Pakistan. We need matches like this where someone comes in tough circumstances and takes the match to the end. He’ll stay with the match even when two wickets are down.”
