‘Sometimes cramps, sometimes acting’
Mohammad Rizwan was down with cramps during his innings, AFP
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Pakistan drop captain Rizwan and Babar in T20Is, Shaheen from ODIs for NZ series
4 Mar 25
Mohammad Rizwan’s heroic helped Pakistan to chase down the highest target in World Cup history to beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
The diminutive Rizwan overcame leg cramps to score a 121-ball 131 not out while Abdullah Shafique hit a 103-ball 113 as Pakistan overhauled their 345-run target in 48.2 overs.
"Always proud when you perform like that. It was difficult and when you chase like that, it's special," said Rizwan.
"Every player in the dressing room had the belief we can chase that."
On his cramping, he said: "Sometimes cramps, sometimes acting!"
Rizwan cracked eight boundaries and three sixes while Shafique's knock had ten boundaries and three sixes as Pakistan improved on the previous highest World Cup chase of 328 by Ireland against England in Bangalore in 2011.
Rizwan added a match-turning 176 run stand for the third wicket with Shafique and another 95 for the fourth with Saud Shakeel who made a 30-ball 31.
The victory gives Pakistan two wins in as many games and a huge boost in confidence ahead of their high-profile clash against India in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
