ICC World Cup 2023: Rizwan comes to rescue with presence of mind

HYDERABAD: The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 roared to life as Pakistan squared off against the Netherlands in an electrifying opening clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Pakistan found themselves wielding the bat first after losing the coin toss to the Dutch side.

Skipper Babar Azam, exuding confidence, vowed to set a formidable target, boldly predicting his team would amass over 290 runs in what promised to be a high-scoring showdown. However, the reality on the field painted a different picture.

In the initial ten overs, Pakistan faced a daunting challenge as they bid farewell to three heavyweight batsmen. Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, the opening duo, were swiftly dismissed by the Netherlands’ bowlers, dealing a heavy blow to the Pakistani side. Even their formidable skipper, Babar Azam, couldn’t escape the early exit.

Zaman contributed 15 runs to the scorecard, Babar Azam managed 34, and Imam-ul-Haq put up 38 runs before their untimely departures.

The pressure is mounting on Pakistan to establish a strong foothold in the tournament, particularly with critical matches against Sri Lanka on October 10 and the arch-rivals India on October 14 looming on the horizon. The Green Team’s warm-up matches ended in disappointment, suffering losses to both New Zealand and Australia.

On the flip side, the Netherlands is eyeing an upset that could reverberate through the cricketing world, marking their territory in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Both of the Netherlands’ warm-up encounters were washed out due to rain. They are the sole Associate nation in this prestigious tournament.

In a recent update, Muhammad Rizwan showing presence of mind has helped amassed runs while pointing out fielding flaws in the field. Rizwan noticed an extra fielder outside the circle. He pointed it out to the fielder, and landed a no ball for his partner on the crease Saud Shakeel. Saud, making ful use of the opportunity, hit the ball out of the ground for a massive six!