Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan slipped and fell badly on the field while attempting to kick a traveling football during the pre-match session of Pakistani players ahead of the first Test against South Africa.
South Africa begins its WTC title defense with its first Test series of this ICC WTC 2025-27 cycle against Pakistan. The series is a two-match Test series that will be played in Lahore and Rawalpindi from October 12 to October 24. This will be followed by a 6-match white ball series.
Shan Masood will remain the Test captain of Pakistan. Masood won the toss and opted to bat against the defending champions. Despite early dismissals, the home team bounced back with a second-wicket partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and captain Shan Masood.
Before the start of the first Test at the Lahore Stadium in Pakistan, the Green team was having a pre-match warm-up session in the nets. Pakistan’s experienced batsman Mohammad Rizwan was seen on the field.
As a football headed towards him, he attempted to volley it and missed by miles. When he rolled over on his shoulders, he fell hard on the ground and a loud laughter echoed from the ground.
Social media also brutally trolled the Pakistan captain saying that he does not fit in cricket and is trying in football.
Will Mohammad Rizwan be selected for South Africa T20I?
While Mohammad Rizwan has been cited as the first-choice wicketkeeper in the Pakistani team for the two-match red-ball series against South Africa, he has also been retained as their ODI captain, with Mohsin Naqvi also showing some confidence in him.
However, Mohammad Rizwan is one of the two big names to miss the Asia Cup along with Babar Azam. Rizwan in talks to return to T20; However, the batsman, who is usually known to open the innings, cannot replace Sahibzada Farhan, who showed great form in the Asia Cup and was the leading run-scorer against India.
Mohammad Rizwan’s place in the T20 squad is in doubt until it is announced between this week and next week. However, his red-ball form is also under major doubt as, after the West Indies series, he has played only 1 home red-ball game in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he scored an unbeaten 123.
South Africa sink to all-time low with defeat against Namibia
While the main South African team has moved on to Pakistan, they selected a B team comprising some younger and less experienced players to play in the one-off T20 match against Namibia at the inaugural Namibia Cricket Ground.
The ground was inaugurated keeping in mind the plans for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be co-hosted with South Africa and Zimbabwe. Namibia, in a historic first game against South Africa, defeated the World T20 Champions, claiming their fourth victory over a Full Member nation.
This match marked the return of South African veteran Quinton de Kock to international cricket; However, due to the crushing defeat, his withdrawal of his retirement was in vain.
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