Mohammad Rizwan: Josh Hazlewood is the most difficult bowler I’ve faced

Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan has named Australia’s Josh Hazlewood as the toughest bowler he has faced in his career. The 29-year-old Rizwan said the knock he played against the Aussies in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2021 was his personal best from 2021.

Rizwan was Pakistan’s top-scorer from the game in Dubai after he scored 67 runs off 52 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes. After Rizwan’s well-made half-century, Pakistan, captained by Babar Azam, scored 176 for four, although they failed to defend it.

Hazlewood, during the game, didn’t have a great outing as he was Australia’s most expensive bowler in the day. The right-arm pacer gave away 49 runs off four overs at an economy rate of 12.25.

Mohammad Rizwan praises Hazlewood

“You know the one I will always remember is the Australia one in the semi-final. The most difficult bowler I’ve ever faced, Josh Hazlewood, was playing. I find him difficult. And then the pitch itself, the conditions, these were things going against us,” Rizwan was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo’s Cricket Monthly.

The day before the semi-final, Rizwan was jostling for life in a hospital after he developed a “severe chest infection” on November 9. After spending two nights at the hospital, Rizwan was deemed fit for the game against Aaron Finch and Co.

Rizwan mentioned that getting out to bat after spending time in the hospital wasn’t an easy task for him. “Batting was tough and I was fighting hard. I was there after being in the ICU but that was a different challenge,” he added.

Rizwan was third in the list of leading run-scorers in the T20 World Cup after his own countryman Babar Azam and Australia’s David Warner, who became the Player of the Tournament.

Also Read: Mohammad Rizwan’s Highest T20I scores – Top 5 Performances

The Peshawar-born Rizwan scored 281 runs in the tournament at an average of 70.25 with three half-centuries to his name.