Sahibzada Farhan backs 'fighter' Rizwan as Pakistan's white-ball captain

KARACHI: Top-order batter Sahibzada Farhan hailed newly-appointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan as a ‘fighter’, highlighting his potential to emerge as a successful leader of the national team.

Rizwan, who replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain on Sunday, will start his tenure with a stiff Australia tour, comprised of three ODIs and as many T20Is.

Meanwhile, Farhan, who only managed to make a cut to the T20I squad, spoke highly of the Rizwan’s captaincy, citing his experience of playing under the wicketkeeper batter’s leadership.

"Rizwan has been my captain before, so playing under him won't be difficult," said Farhan in a media interaction on the sidelines of the training camp, underway at National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

"He will turn out to be a good captain for Pakistan. He is a fighter, whether in club matches or international games - his style remains the same," he added.

Farhan, who made his T20I debut for Pakistan in 2018, recently led Pakistan Shaheens on an all-format tour to Darwin and thus expressed his familiarity with the conditions in Australia.

"We have toured Australia before and played One-Day matches there, so I am familiar with the conditions," said Farhan.

Sahibzada Farhan then expressed his willingness to play at any position for the team but expressed his hope to get a chance to bat at his usual position.

"I'll be ready to play wherever I'm needed, but I hope to get a chance to play in the same position I play in domestic matches,” Farhan said.

Farhan also expressed confidence in himself to perform well in Australia T20Is, citing his recent performances in domestic circuit but also acknowledged the pressure of international cricket.

“For the past three or four years, I've been one of the top performers in domestic cricket, and if given the opportunity, I'll perform well," Farhan stated.

"There's always pressure in international cricket, but one or two matches aren't enough to judge a player's career. In my opinion, it's essential to give players a fair chance, like five or six matches, to prove themselves."