Ghazi Ghori Backs Mohammad Rizwan as Pakistan’s Top Wicketkeeper Choice

Rising Pakistani wicketkeeper batter Ghazi Ghori made it clear that Mohammad Rizwan is still Pakistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper batter, even though the former captain was left out of the ongoing home ODI series against Australia. These are encouraging remarks for the former captain who also struggled badly in the recent PSL season.

Mohammad Rizwan, who had earlier led Pakistan to many memorable victories in both ODI and T20I matches, lost his place in the side after a poor tour of Bangladesh. In that series, he managed just 54 runs at an average of 19.33, an embarrassing figure that does not reflect his true potential in ODI cricket.

Rizwan’s omission from the ongoing ODI series between Pakistan vs Australia sparked rumors that his career in the format might be over, but captain Shaheen Shah Afridi denied those claims last week.

Meanwhile, Ghazi Ghori, who played a key role in Pakistan’s five-wicket victory over Australia in the series opener, said he is not the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper batter and insisted that the spot still belongs to Rizwan.

"It's not like that I am replacing Rizwan bhai, he is our most senior player, and only he is our first-choice wicketkeeper," said Ghazi Ghori while talking to the reporters during a media briefing.

Ghori then revealed the support he recently received from the coach and the captain, saying everyone is backing him to score big, which is why he is also confident to perform strongly in the series.

"Rest, I have been receiving significant support from the coach and the captain. When I played in Bangladesh, they advised me to stay prepared as I could be given an opportunity anytime and also that I must avail it. So, the captain and coach supported me a lot," said Ghazi Ghori.

Ghori then praised Babar Azam for supporting him during the last match when the situation was tough. He said it always feels good to play alongside a player who has performed so well over the years, as it eases the pressure on youngsters.

"It gives a lot of confidence when a senior player is already in the middle, and to bat alongside someone like Babar bhai, who has performed so well over the years, gives a different kind of confidence and eases the pressure a bit from the youngster," said Ghazi Ghori.

"Because as a senior player, he was dealing with the difficult tasks by himself and kept me at ease. So, when you're batting alongside someone like Babar bhai, things get easier," added Ghazi Ghori.