"The Indian crowd gave us a lot of love at the airport itself" - Mohammad Rizwan on Pakistan getting a rousing reception in Hyderabad
Pakistan keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan recently spoke about how the Men in Green received a thunderous welcome when they landed at the Hyderabad airport ahead of the World Cup 2023 on Wednesday (September 27).
Rizwan claimed that the treatment they got from Indian fans was similar to what they usually receive from Pakistani supporters back home. He made these comments while speaking in a mid-innings interview during Pakistan's warm-up match against New Zealand on Friday (September 29).
The match is being played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Rizwan shone with the bat for Pakistan in the encounter, notching up a fine century. He scored 103 off 94 balls, helping his side finish at 345/5 after 50 overs.
Acknowledging the support from the Indian crowd, Rizwan said:
"A hundred is a hundred, proud and happy of it. Scoring a century for Pakistan is always special. The Indian crowd gave us a lot of love at the airport itself, just like how our fans love us back in Pakistan. We were welcomed in India in a great way."
While Mohammad Rizwan slammed an impressive ton, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel also contributed significantly, mustering 80 and 75 runs, respectively.
"Our communication is good and that helps us" - Mohammad Rizwan on batting with Babar Azam
During the interview, Mohammad Rizwan emphasized that he is ready to bat anywhere, as per the requirements of the team. He pointed out how he bats at different positions in all three formats.
The 31-year-old also lauded Saud Shakeel for his wonderful knock against New Zealand. Speaking about his batting partnership with Babar Azam, Rizwan opined that the two batters have similar styles, he added:
"In T20Is, I open for Pakistan, in Tests, I bat at 6-7 and in ODIs, I bat at number 4, I play according to the team requirements. Saud Shakeel is in great form and he played a classy knock today. Hopefully, he turns out to be a great player in the ODI format as well. I and Babar try to rotate the strike, we bat similarly, our communication is good and that helps us."
Pakistan will face Australia in their second and final warm-up match of the World Cup 2023 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 3.