Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan believes the Champions Trophy will be a “historic occasion” for the country, a day before the hosts kick the tournament off against New Zealand.
The Champions Trophy is the first major cricket event hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades and is regarded as second only to the World Cup in the 50-over game.
“A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years so I think the whole nation should enjoy this historic occasion,” Rizwan told a news conference on the eve of the tournament, which runs until 9 March.
Pakistan had been due to host the tournament in 2008 but was thrown into cricketing isolation by a security crisis as violence spilled over from the long-running war in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Islamist gunmen then attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka’s team in Lahore the following year, wounding several players and killing eight policemen and civilians.
However, major teams have toured Pakistan in the past five years as security improved, opening the way for the cricket-mad nation to stage the tournament.
“Pakistan has suffered enough and for a long time, but we have also won during this phase like the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2009 T20 World Cup,” Rizwan said.
Still, the build-up has not been without problems after neighbours and arch-rivals India refused to play in Pakistan over long-standing political tensions. India will instead play their matches in Dubai.
Pakistan’s opponents in the tournament opener in Karachi beat them twice this month during a Tri-Series event that included South Africa.
“There shouldn’t be any doubts on our performance,” Rizwan said. “We may not have played on our abilities but we all want to win the event for the country and people.”
Rizwan hoped to have pace bowler Haris Rauf on the pitch after he suffered chest muscle strain in the match against New Zealand in Lahore last week.
“Haris bowled 80% yesterday and today he is bowling at his full rhythm and told us that he is not feeling any discomfort, so I hope he is fully fit.”
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Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha cracked centuries to guide Pakistan into the Tri-Series final with a thumping six-wicket win over the Proteas in Karachi on Wednesday.
Rizwan led Pakistan’s highest successful ODI chase of 353 in 49 overs with a magnificent 122* while Salman slammed 134 for his maiden century at the National Stadium.
Pakistan will now face New Zealand at the same venue on Friday in the final of the event which is a key warm-up for the Champions Trophy which starts next week.
The hundreds made by Rizwan and Salman overshadowed Matthew Breetzke’s record of scoring most runs by a batsman in his first two ODIs of 150 and 83.
Breetzke’s innings had set up an imposing Proteas total of 352-5.
Rizwan and Salman built a match-changing stand of 260, a new record for the fourth wicket for Pakistan, improving on the 206 scored by Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan against India in Centurion in 2009.
Their blistering innings should also erase doubts over the team’s vulnerable batting as they improved on Pakistan’s previous highest successful chase of 349 against Australia in Lahore in 2022.
Rizwan hit nine fours and three sixes off 128 balls while Salman’s 103-ball knock had 16 boundaries and two sixes.
HIGHLIGHTS: Pakistan vs Proteas (Tri-Series ODI)
Earlier, Breetzke followed his highest-ever debut score against New Zealand in Lahore on Monday with an attractive 84-ball 83, spiced with a six and 10 fours, after South Africa won the toss.
Breetzke bettered West Indian Desmond Haynes’ aggregate of 195 runs in his first two matches in 1978 before he fell to a brilliant catch off spinner Khushdil Shah.
Pakistan’s vaunted bowling attack failed to stop the tourists from scoring a big total, with captain Temba Bavuma (82) and Heinrich Klaasen (87) also chipping in.
With wickets not falling, frustrated Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi angrily clashed with Breetzke as the batsman attempted to complete a run.
Shaheen made physical contact and exchanged words with his rival before umpire Asif Yaqoob separated the pair.
Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi (22), one of four changes in the Proteas XI, put on 51 for the opening stand. The captain then built a second-wicket stand of 119 with Breetzke.
Bavuma was run out after cracking 13 fours in his 96-ball knock.
Klaasen lifted the tempo with a rapid 56-ball knock, smashing three sixes and 11 fours as the South Africans added 110 runs in the last 10 overs.
Kyle Verreynne and Corbin Bosch remained not out with 44 and 15 respectively to take the Proteas past 350.
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Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan fight back from a poor start in the first Test against the West Indies to reach 143-4 at the close of a fog-hit opening day.
When bad light ended play with just 41.3 overs bowled, Shakeel was unbeaten on 56 for his ninth half-century, while Rizwan was 51* for his 11th.
The pair added 97 after coming together with Pakistan in trouble at 46-4.
The left-right combination of Shakeel and Rizwan negotiated the three-spinner West Indies attack with confidence after fast bowler Jayden Seales initially left the home team struggling.
Sensing the dry and grassless Multan Stadium pitch will be tough for batting on the last two days, and with spin set to play a major role, the home team opted to bat after winning the toss.
But play was delayed owing to early morning fog compounded by poor air quality, resulting in poor visibility and wiping out the first session.
Shakeel has so far cracked four boundaries while Rizwan has seven.
Seales finished with 3-21 off 10 overs.
Both teams started with three spinners and just one frontline fast bowler, and the tourists opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie alongside Seales.
It was Seales who provided the breakthrough, forcing an edge off debutant Muhammad Hurraira to wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach in the sixth over. Hurraira scored six.
Three overs later, Motie dismissed Masood off a faint edge to the wicketkeeper for 11 before Seales trapped Kamran Ghulam lbw with a sharp incoming delivery for five.
It became 46-4 when Babar Azam edged Seales behind the wicket for eight, continuing a poor run of scores at home from Pakistan’s premier batsman.
The two-match series is part of the World Test Championship’s third cycle (2023-2025). Pakistan currently rank eighth and the West Indies ninth and last.
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Mohammad Rizwan hit an unbeaten 104 off 64 deliveries as Pakistan beat the Proteas by three runs in the first T20I in Lahore on Thursday.