Dropped catches cost the match: Rizwan

ISLAMABAD: Mohammad Rizwan blamed poor catching as the main reason for losing the second T20 and with it the three-match T20 series against Australia.

Talking to the media following the defeat at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Rizwan said that catches if grabbed could have put pressure on the Australian top-order and hence low total to chase.

“It was never an easy wicket to score runs. It was a difficult pitch but we dropped too many catches which actually helped Australia score briskly in the opening few overs.”

Rizwan praised Usman Khan and Irfan Khan for keeping Pakistan in the match. “The two played well, keeping us in the game but we could not get off to a good start which made our job difficult.”

Pakistan hit only one boundary in the power play dragging down their run-chasing effort to a considerable level.

Usman, who smashed his first T20 International half-century, said he would have been happier had his efforts helped the team win the match. “Though it is good to achieve the first fifty, it would have been satisfying had my half-century helped the team win the match.”

Usman said that he had been struggling to score runs on international level. “My record in my first ever full domestic season was strong yet I was unable to score at international level. I am hopeful this half-century would go a long way in helping me put up a better show in matches to come.”