New Delhi, Feb 24 Former Pakistan women’s captain Urooj Mumtaz criticised skipper Mohammad Rizwan for playing too many dot balls in the middle overs phase, which ultimately led to their six-wicket defeat to India in the 2025 Champions Trophy clash in Dubai.
Though Rizwan made 46 to be Pakistan’s second-highest run-scorer as the side posted 241 in 49.4 overs, he took 77 balls to make that score and played 29 dot balls in between 11 to 24 overs. Pakistan’s middle overs slowdown started just after ending the power-play at 52/2, with their overall dot ball percentage standing at 48 per cent.
"Rizwan, time and again, is at fault of chewing up too many dot deliveries. Then there is one release shot that comes out. He was on 40-odd from something like 70 deliveries at the point where he looked like taking another release shot."
"He was 30 off 68 (24 off 53) at one point when he hit that one four. Saud (Shakeel), on the other hand, is not the normal aggressor; it is Rizwan who is normally the aggressor when he does get going and does get set," said Urooj to ESPNcricinfo.
Rizwan's was involved in a 104-run partnership with Saud Shakeel, but it had taken 144 balls for that to happen. Urooj also felt Rizwan going slow also put pressure on left-handed batter Shakeel to break free.
"I think Rizwan, in his 46 off 77 - strike rate of 59 - just wasn't good enough because we're talking about a team where the best batter in the team (Babar Azam) is obviously out of form, hasn't been churning out those big runs... and he got out early. Imam (had) that unfortunate run-out."
"So it was down to Rizwan as captain to put his hand up and show that brave attitude. Maybe even not just trying to botch everything down, but maybe just better strike rotation, (the lack of) which I thought was a massive fault, and probably applied a little bit more pressure on Saud as well," she concluded.
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