Rizwan Says English Isn’t a Must, Only Cricket Matters

Photo: AFP

Pakistan’s cricket captain Mohammad Rizwan has made it clear that he is not embarrassed about his English-speaking skills. While talking to the media on Saturday ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Rizwan said that he is not ashamed at all about not speaking fluent English. He said that his country wants good cricket from him, not English. And if one day, Pakistan starts asking for English from him instead of cricket, he would happily leave the sport and become a professor.

Rizwan is not the only cricketer who faces this issue. Many players before him have been made fun of just because they struggle with English. Some people, especially online, often troll players for their pronunciation or grammar mistakes when they speak during interviews or press conferences.

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“I really don’t care,” Rizwan said while speaking in Urdu. “I am proud of one thing—whatever I say, I speak from my heart. I don’t know English, and my only regret is that I could not complete my education. But I am not even one percent ashamed about not knowing English, even though I am leading the Pakistan cricket team,” he added.

Rizwan also explained that his job is to play cricket, not to speak English. “Pakistan wants cricket from me, not English. The only thing I feel bad about is not finishing my education. That’s the reason I struggle to speak English. I always tell my juniors to complete their education so they don’t face the same issue,” he said.

He continued, “Right now, the country wants me to play cricket. But if a time comes when Pakistan wants English from me, I’ll leave cricket and become a professor. Though I don’t think I’ll have that kind of time.”

Rizwan will be leading the Multan Sultans in the upcoming season of the PSL. However, he is also under pressure as a captain. After Pakistan had a disappointing performance in the last Champions Trophy where they didn’t win a single match and were knocked out in the group stage, Rizwan lost his role as the captain of the T20I team. He was later given the responsibility to lead the ODI team on a tour to New Zealand, but Pakistan lost that series too.

Despite the setbacks, Rizwan is now focused on the PSL. The Multan Sultans squad for the new season includes a mix of experienced and young players. The team is made up of: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Usama Mir, Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan, Chris Jordan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Faisal Akram, Akif Javed, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little, Tayyab Tahir, Shahid Aziz, Ubaid Shah, Muhammad Amir Barki, Ashton Turner, and Yasir Khan.

Fans are now waiting to see how Rizwan and his team perform in the league, and many are supporting him not just for his cricket skills, but also for being honest and true to himself.