Sussex County Cricket Club has roped in Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan for the major part of the 2022 season.
“Sussex Cricket is extremely excited to announce the signing of Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, He will join Sussex following Australia’s tour of Pakistan that concludes in early April. He will then be available in both Championship and T20 cricket until the end of the Vitality Blast in mid-July,” the club said on its official statement on Thursday.
The 29-year-old has had a memorable year of cricket. He has scored over 1800 international runs this year, including over 12,00 runs in the T20I cricket.
You May Also Like: Mohammad Rizwan Becomes Only Batsman in History to Score 2000 Runs in a Calendar Year
In first-class cricket, Mohammad averages over 43 with the bat, including nearly 1,000 runs in 19 Test matches at an average of over 42.
Rizwan was on the roll when Pakistan last visited England in 2020. In the three-match Test series, the right-handed batter averaged over 40 and was named Pakistan’s player of the series. Former England captain and now a cricket commentator, Nasser Hussain described him as “the best for a long, long time” when it came to touring wicketkeepers.
Rizwan’s overall international record has been very impressive. In 54 T20Is, Mohammad averages a stunning 50.06 with the bat at a strike rate of 126.6. He has enjoyed a stellar 2021, becoming the first batter to score over a thousand T20I runs in a calendar year and surpassed Chris Gayle’s six-year-old record for the most T20 runs scored in a calendar year.
You May Also Like: Babar Azam, Rizwan, and Shaheen Reveal Secrets Behind Their Shirt Numbers
He was also the third-highest run-scorer in the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scoring 281 runs in six innings as Pakistan made it to the semi-finals, and is now ranked by the ICC as the world’s fourth-best batter in men’s T20Is.
Rizwan was full of positivity after signing for Sussex, sending this message to the club’s supporters: “Dear Sussex Family, assalamu alaikum. I am absolutely honoured and excited to be a part of the historic Sussex County Cricket Club for the 2022 season. I have always heard great things about the Sussex community and this family club was always close to my heart.
“In my heart, I know our young team has the potential to beat any team. Our strength lies in our hard work, honesty, deep commitment, and self-belief: we can win, we will win, and we will play like champions, no matter what! In sha Allah, I look forward to a great season,” he added.
