The Multan Sultans captain has been in exceptional form—both behind the wickets and in front—as he has been recently named in the elite list of Wisden’s Player of the Year.
While talking to Wisden, Rizwan revealed that he never shies away from working hard as he believes that his primary responsibility is to justify the money that he earns from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“PCB pays me a daily allowance of $114 which I have to justify,” he said. “I always try to give my 110 per cent when I am in the ground and it doesn’t matter if I am selected in the playing XI or not. Whether I have to do throw downs or have to bowl in the net, I always give my 110 percent.”
Despite making a debut for the Green Caps in 2015, the 28-year-old had a hard time in cementing a permanent spot in the playing XI.
Talking about his time out of the national team, Rizwan revealed that he never lost hope and kept faith in Allah.
“I never lost hope,” he said. “I always believed in hard work and had a firm belief in Allah. I am following this since the start and finally today I am in front of you. It was difficult to be in and out of the team. At every stage, I was up against a quality wicketkeeper. First it was Adnan Akmal, then it was Safi [Sarfaraz Ahmed] Bhai but I always had one thing in my mind that my time will come and finally I am here.”
Rizwan has represented Pakistan in 13 Tests, 38 ODIs and 33 T20Is where he has collectively managed to score 2,183 runs, which included four centuries and 13 half-centuries.
