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LAHORE: Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Ghazi Ghori has addressed talk surrounding Mohammad Rizwan’s replacement in the ODI side.
Speaking ahead of the second ODI against Australia, Ghori said Rizwan remains the senior player despite his omission from the ongoing series.
“It’s not like that I am replacing Rizwan bhai, he is our most senior player, and only he is our first-choice wicketkeeper,” he told reporters.
He also spoke about receiving support from team management, noting that during Bangladesh tour, the coaches and captain advised him to stay ready for any oppurtunity.
“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,” he explained.
Ghori who scored a calculated fifty in the series opener, credited Babar Azam for guiding him through the difficult phase of the innings.
“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,” Ghazi revealed.
“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,” he concluded.
It is worth mentioning that Rizwan was omitted from Pakistan’s squad for the home series, sparking widespread debate about his future in ODI cricket.
Pakistan have included Rohail Nazir and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori as their specialist wicketkeeping options for the Australia series, with the team management looking to assess alternatives ahead of the next ODI World Cup cycle.
Rizwan’s omission comes after a disappointing ODI series against Bangladesh earlier this year, where he managed just 54 runs in three innings at an average of 19.33.
Despite the recent struggles, the experienced wicketkeeper remains one of Pakistan’s most accomplished ODI performers. Since making his debut in the format, Rizwan has scored 2979 runs in 94 ODI innings at an average of 40.80, including four centuries and 19 half-centuries.
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