"Had I been 20 minutes late in reaching the hospital, both my windpipes would have burst"- Mohammad Rizwan
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has spoken about his visit to the hospital prior to the semi-final fixture against Australia last week. Rizwan spent two days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) prior to the all-important semi-finals after he complained of severe chest pain.
In a video shared by Pakistan Cricket, Rizwan revealed chilling details about his health and his stay in the hospital. He said:
"When I went to the hospital, I wasn't breathing. The doctor's kept telling me I'll soon be discharged but I ended up staying two days in ICU. One of the nurses told me that had I been 20 minutes late in reaching the hospital, both my windpipe would have burst."
He went on to add:
"They used to conduct regular tests but the constant thought in my mind was that I'll soon get fit to play the match. The doctor told me that he wanted me to play the semi-final for Pakistan which gave me a boost."
A great example of courage, determination and resilience. Might not have ended up on the winning side, but Mohd. Rizwan’s grit and fight after being in ICU for two days, truly inspiring. Sport is a great teacher and there is so much to learn from everyone. https://t.co/O2PatLEuWJ
U want to see a real hero,a lion .. here is rizwan,in hospital a day before the game and was superb today against aus. Salute ma man.. total respect..wat a guy..a real lion https://t.co/qvi6UId253
Rizwan not only featured in the semi-final but also ended up being the top-scorer for his side. The opening batter scored a 52-ball 67. However, his contribution went in vain as Australia chased down 177 with an over to spare to book their place in the final.
Mohammad Rizwan feels he is motivated by criticism
Rizwan's evolution as a T20 batter is one of the great stories of the current era. From being dubbed as a Test specialist to becoming the first batter to smash 1000+ runs in the shortest format in a calendar year, he has come a long way.
Rizwan thanked the likes of Richard Pybus, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Pakistan's assistant coach Shahid Aslam for their stellar contributions. It has led to him becoming one of the most consistent batters in the format.
He said:
"This record is dedicated to all of Pakistan. I have always taken criticism as motivation. I would like to thank a few people who have played a key role in me making this record. Richard Pybus, Inzi bhai (Inzamam-ul-Haq) and Shahid Aslam have played a crucial role in me achieving success in T20 cricket."
Mohammad Rizwan is the first ever player to score 1000+ T20I runs in a calendar year.
1009* - Mohammad Rizwan🇵🇰 in 2021 (as of now)
826 - Babar Azam🇵🇰 in 2021
748 - Paul Stirling☘️ in 2019
729 - Kevin O'Brien☘️ in 2019
702 - Max O'Dowd🇳🇱 in 2019
#T20WorldCup #PAKvAUS
Rizwan added that the criticism he received from his detractors proved to be a driving force for him.
"It was a challenge because people always used to say that I can't play in shorter formats. The management's decision to allow me to open helped me as it gave me a driving force to prove myself," he added.
🗣️ "People used to say that I'm not a short-format player, so I took that as a challenge." – Mohammad Rizwan https://t.co/XzZqfKd52a
Rizwan and Babar Azam have become a formidable opening pair in T20s. Their consistency is astounding. But with both primarily being anchor players, critics have pointed towards their inability to cash in during the powerplay.
Pakistan did not manage to score 50-plus in the first six overs during the entire T20 World Cup. Addressing the same, Rizwan said:
"Our strength has been the way we bat in the powerplay. Yes, I admit we didn't score as many we should have, we didn't hit as many sixes, but if you compare our performance with other teams', we didn't throw away our wickets and set the platform for our power hitters."
Rizwan ended the tournament as the third-highest run-getter. In six games, he scored 281 runs at an average of 70.25 and a strike rate of 127.73 with three 50+ scores.