Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Rizwan was caught in an embarrassing situation as a Pakistan reporter during a press conference advised him to hang up his boots in the T20Is following his ongoing rough patch in the format. Notably, the newly-introduced Rawalpindiz have suffered its seven straight defeat in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, as Rizwan’s credentials as captain have been muddled.
On Saturday, Rawalpindi played against the Lahore Qalandars in Karachi and lost by 32 runs, placing them in significant jeopardy in the PSL. Captain Rizwan, absent from Pakistan’s T20I squad since December 2024, continues to be scrutinized because of his poor performance, leading to worries about his future in cricket.
Emotional Rizwan makes a huge confession:
A reporter directly asked Rizwan if he should think about retiring from T20Is during the current slump to allow room for new talent. In reaction, the emotional Pakistani cricketer acknowledged that his performance has not been satisfactory.
Rizwan also mentioned encouraging former Pakistan captains – including Sarfaraz Ahmed – to allow other players an opportunity whenever he faced a downturn.
The 33-year-old, nonetheless, continues to dedicate himself to self-improvement and delivering performances rather than just drifting away into the sunset.
“I made mistakes; my performance is not good. But this does not mean that I will lose hope and sit in front of you, or I will leave the cricket. If I have the strength, then I will do it. If I don’t do it, then I have already told the captains in the Pakistan team that my performance is not good, so give them a chance,” Rizwan said in the post-match press conference.
Mohammad Rizwan was asked if he should retire from T20 cricket. Here’s what he had to say 👇 pic.twitter.com/u0h8emrwTO
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 20, 2026
Rizwan says not afraid of media and its questions
Rizwan, in the press conference, announced that he is not scared of the media and their challenging questions over his form.
“Even now, I will say that I am not afraid of questions, I am not afraid of the media. Whatever is not right in me, it is not. If you think that I am at this age. You say that Rizwan, take retirement, then I will take it,” Rizwan added.
The right-handed batter stated that cricket is his only priority and that he is not involved in any other business or competing in different sports.
Rizwan and PSL’s Rawalpindi will face the Multan Sultans on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at Karachi’s National Stadium.
Vishal Pushkar is a Chief Sub-Editor with NewsX and has been associated with the company since March 2026. He has been working as a journalist since 2021. His experience includes working with Zee Media, Amazon and Dainik Jagran. Vishal holds a BA (English Honours) degree from Shyam Lal College, University of Delhi and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi. Vishal has completed a beginner’s course in the German language as well.
