Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Rizwan has publicly celebrated the moment Maaz Sadaqat realised a long-held ambition of playing for his country. Rizwan shared his reaction on social media after Pakistan sealed a T20I series win on Sunday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan completed the series with a commanding all-round display in the second T20I, which was also the hosts’ home series victory. Rizwan congratulated Sahibzada Farhan and the rest of the squad on the result, closing his message with the words “Pakistan Zindabad.”
Rizwan recalls Sadaqat’s visit to his Peshawar home
Rizwan said it felt as though it had happened only yesterday when Sadaqat arrived at his house in Peshawar, accompanied by his brother Haroon. The young cricketer, he said, was carrying a dream of one day wearing the national jersey, and his eyes were full of hope.
Seeing the same youngster in the Pakistan shirt filled him with joy, Rizwan said, and he offered prayers for Sadaqat’s continued success. He described the moment as the start of what he hopes will be a beautiful journey.
Rizwan also spoke to aspiring cricketers and young people more broadly. He stressed that perseverance, patience, hard work and faith in Allah were essential, and urged them to stay committed to their goals even when obstacles appeared along the way.
Sadaqat and Farhan drive Pakistan’s big total
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan posted an imposing 215 for three in their 20 overs. Sadaqat led the innings with a blistering 96 off 51 deliveries, hitting six fours and seven sixes, though he narrowly fell short of a maiden T20I century.
Farhan gave strong support with an aggressive 73 off 44 balls, including four fours and five sixes. It was his second consecutive half-century of the series. Fakhar Zaman added 22 off 17 deliveries with four boundaries, while Hasan Nawaz finished unbeaten on 19 off just nine balls, hitting one four and one six to provide a late push.
Sri Lanka unable to keep pace with target
Sri Lanka struggled to match the required run rate in reply. They finished on 133 for seven in their 20 overs, falling 82 runs short of the target and handing Pakistan the series.
