Mohammad Rizwan

For several years, it appeared Mohammad Rizwan's international career would only happen in a parallel universe, racking up domestic runs even as he struggled to get a game in the national side. But for someone who played an international for the first time in two years in January 2019, Mohammad Rizwan was spoken of remarkably frequently. Most often, he was used as a stick to threaten current first-choice Pakistan wicketkeeper and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, but the Peshawar native had qualities of his own that suggested he might have been unfortunate not to play for Pakistan more often.

A limited batsman but a technically sound keeper when he first rose through the ranks, Rizwan made his international debut shortly after the 2015 World Cup when the slot behind the stumps was still up for grabs. He made a bright start against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, averaging nearly 60 with the bat in his first eight innings, but against more challenging opposition, his deficiencies were quickly exposed.

A lengthy lean patch followed, and once he lost his place to Sarfaraz for the World T20 in 2016, there was little doubt who Pakistan's No. 1 wicketkeeper was. After the debacle at the World T20, Sarfaraz was appointed captain of the limited-overs sides, and consequently Rizwan's game time diminished further, coming to a complete halt until Sarfaraz sat out the last five games on the tour to South Africa in January 2019 serving a ban.

Since then, Rizwan's career trajectory skyrocketed. A 95 in Brisbane in his first Test since being called up got him off to a good start, but it was Pakistan's tour to England where he truly cemented his spot as Pakistan's first choice wicketkeeper. A pair of half-centuries in Southampton combined with a near-perfect series behind the stumps demonstrated to Pakistan they have found a long-term wicketkeeping solution, and Rizwan found himself appointed vice-captain of the Test side, and fast-tracked into the white ball team.

T20s and Rizwan didn't seem naturally suited to each other, but 2021 and 2022 saw make a mockery of those predictions with record-breaking years. From the start of 2021 until the final of the 2022 World Cup, he scored over 600 more T20 runs than second-placed Babar Azam, with whom he formed an opening partnership of unsurpassed consistency. During this time, he was also the second highest runscorer in the PSL, and led his side Multan Sultans to their only title.

He would go on to captain his country in all three formats, but over the years, T20 consistency has come at the expense of belligerence, a strike rate in the mid 120s an inadequate use of the Powerplay. After a disastrous T20 World Cup campaign in 2024, he lost the armband, and eventually his place in the side. His quality as wicketkeeper and dependability with the bat, though, continued to put him amongst the first names on the team sheet in the longer formats.

On the domestic circuit, Rizwan has been a prolific run-accumulator, averaging a shade under 50 in List A cricket and over 43 at first-class level. Having made his debut over a decade ago on Pakistan's domestic circuit, Rizwan has been an ever-present participant in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, plying his trade with the hugely successful SNGPL side, helping his side to three titles in four years.