Eng vs Pak: Rizwan an 'all-weather' batsman, says Manjrekar

AUG 15, NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar on Saturday praised Mohammad Rizwan, saying the Pakistan wicketkeeper is an "all-weather" batsman.

Rizwan on Friday came to the rescue of the Pakistan side and helped them inch towards a respectable first-innings score in the ongoing second Test being played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. At Stumps on Day 2, Pakistan were 223/9 with Rizwan batting at 60* alongside Naseem Khan who was unbeaten at 1.

"This Mohd Rizwan can bat! He can drive well off the front foot & at the same time play the pull & the cut superbly. This makes him an 'all-weather' batsman. No wonder his top 3 scores in Tests so far have come in Australia and England," Manjrekar said in a tweet.

Before the ongoing Test, the 28-year-old played 7 Tests, 32 ODIs and 18 T20Is for Pakistan.

Meanwhile, former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq lashed out at Pakistan batsmen for their defensive approach and said that they are scared of playing shots.

"Pakistan batsmen were scared of playing their shots. If you look at most of their dismissals, their bat was behind their leg," Inzamam said on his YouTube channel.

"When you meet the ball, your bat should be ahead of your leg. You are getting caught at slips because you are employing a defensive approach."

The 50-year-old said that Pakistan should play an aggressive brand of cricket as only then they can defeat England in their own backyard.

"I request the batsmen and team management to play aggressive cricket, in order to beat England. Otherwise, we will be depending on rain to save us in this Test," he said.

Pakistan are 0-1 down in the ongoing series after losing the opening Test by three wickets at the Old Trafford. They need to win or draw the ongoing Test to keep the three-match series alive.