‘The criticism is justified and we deserve this’ - Mohammad Rizwan breaks silence after Pakistan’s humiliating T20 World Cup exit

Pakistan were shambolically eliminated from the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2024. The Babar Azam-led side lost to the United States of America (USA) in their opening game of the campaign and then suffered a defeat at the hands of India, which complicated their chances to qualify for the Super Eights of the marquee tournament. They managed to win their final two games, but it was too late in the end as they finished third in the race.

Many former cricketers and fans were disgusted with the performance of the national team and criticised them heavily on social media and other different platforms. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan recently opened up about their campaign and stated that the players were disappointed after a humiliating exit. The 32-year-old added that the players couldn’t perform as per expectations and that they deserve to hear all the criticism.

“The criticism the team is facing is justified, and we deserve this since we didn’t perform in accordance with expectations. Players who can’t face criticism won’t be able to succeed,” Rizwan said while speaking to the press as quoted by NDTV Sports.

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The experienced cricketer added that the players were disappointed after a disheartening campaign and also revealed that there were many factors behind their loss. However, he appreciated the efforts put in by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi and mentioned that the decisions he took regarding team selection were correct, but the boys couldn’t deliver on the ground.

“We are disappointed with our performance in the T20 World Cup. There are multiple reasons behind our losses. When a team loses, one can’t say that bowling and batting is doing well. Operations are a normal thing. When a person is ill, an operation is necessary. PCB Chairman is a hard-working person. The decision about who will remain in the team and who will not is the chairman’s right,” Rizwan added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan players are currently playing or gearing up for franchise cricket. Many of them are involved in the ongoing LPL, while a few will feature in MLC and GT20 Canada, followed by The Hundred.