Multan Sultans skipper Mohammad Rizwan has openly discussed the influence of politics in cricket, leadership pressure, and his cricketing philosophy and has said that he does not use social media and is unaware of current Pakistan-India issues.
“Cricket Should Remain Free from Politics”
While speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Rizwan underlined the need to maintain sports and politics apart. “I don’t know what’s happening between Pakistan and India. I don’t look at social media,” he said, pointing towards his concentration on the game instead of controversies.
He also mentioned the camaraderie that exists between global players. “When we meet players like Virat Kohli and Joe Root, it feels more like reuniting with members of a cricketing family. We pick up from them and we share our experiences too,” Rizwan further stated.
Team Selection Based on Conditions, Not Just Trends
Rizwan emphasized that picking teams according to match conditions is important. “All teams have opted for spinners due to the pitch conditions. Sadly, we are out of the tournament now, and honestly, we deserved it. We made errors, particularly in fielding, where we couldn’t get going,” he admitted.
He also accepted the technical failures that caused Multan Sultans to exit PSL 10 prematurely, citing areas of improvement.
Leadership Comes with Pressure, and It’s Only Natural
Reflecting on the challenges of captaincy, Rizwan mentioned, “Claiming there’s no pressure would be untrue. Leading the Pakistan national team brings its own set of high expectations.” Being the captain of the Pakistan national team comes with expectations. The same applies to captaining Multan Sultans—the pressure is always there, and we have to learn to manage it.”
He also stressed self-improvement: “We need to accept our mistakes and work hard to correct them.”
“Modern Cricket Needs Context—Conditions Matter”
Reflecting on the need to play modern-day aggressive cricket, Rizwan mentioned the harsh realities of local playing conditions. “They say we need to play modern T20 cricket, but conditions here at times demand a Test match attitude, even in T20s. Look at the T20 World Cup—scoring even 120 runs was a challenge in certain matches,” he elaborated.
He urged players and teams to read the conditions rather than mindlessly following trends: “We shouldn’t imitate others. Rather, we have to react to what the conditions require.”
Observations on Other Teams in PSL 10
Rizwan complimented the high level of performances by opposing teams in the league. “Lahore Qalandars have got unmatched enthusiasm, Quetta Gladiators have got into a rhythm, and Karachi Kings and Islamabad United have put together very strong teams,” he said, praising the overall level of the tournament.
On Babar Azam and Peshawar Zalmi
When asked about Babar Azam and his team Peshawar Zalmi, Rizwan expressed his heartfelt support. “They require prayers. I will certainly pray for them. If we had retained our catches, we wouldn’t be in this position,” he acknowledged, pointing towards Multan Sultans’ errors in fateful matches.
Multan Sultans Officially Out of Title Race
Multan Sultans have now been officially knocked out of the competition for the PSL 10 title. Despite some spirited performances earlier in the tournament, the team couldn’t maintain consistency, eventually falling short of qualification.