KOLKATA: Former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta has expressed his admiration for Mohammad Rizwan's wicket-keeping skills, stating that he ranks among the top three wicketkeepers in the world.
Dasgupta, who is now a renowned commentator, stated the role of wicket-keepers has evolved, with them now being considered all-rounders who also contribute with the bat.
He commended the decision to position Mohammad Rizwan at number four in the batting order.
"The decision to play Rizwan at number four is a good one. Eleven to forty overs are crucial in one-day cricket. Playing out the middle overs makes a difference in teams and Rizwan performs well in the middle order. There is no flaw in Rizwan; he is the best wicket-keeper," Dasgupta told this correspondent.
"In my opinion, Rizwan is one of the top three wicket-keepers in the world. Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul, and Rizwan are the top wicket-keepers," he added.
Meanwhile, Dasgupta also talked about Pakistan's performance in the ICC World Cup 2023. He remarked that Pakistan hold destiny in their own hands and that their hopes remain alive.
"Pakistan is responsible for its own fate in this situation. Pakistan's hopes are still alive, and we'll see how they perform in their remaining matches," he maintained.
Discussing the tournament's dynamics, Dasgupta acknowledged that there have been surprising results, and more unexpected outcomes may unfold. He noted that Afghanistan is performing well and highlighted the intriguing prospect of their upcoming match against Australia.
"The tournament has had some upsets, and more can happen. Afghanistan is playing well, and their match against Australia will be interesting. If Afghanistan defeats Australia, it will benefit Pakistan," he added.
Furthermore, Dasgupta expressed optimism about Babar Azam's performance in the tournament, despite the batter not being in peak form.
"We are yet to see the best of Babar Azam in the tournament. He may not be in top form, but we have high hopes of big scores from him. People compare Babar to [Kane] Williamson, [Virat Kohli], and other high-scoring players. It's possible that Babar didn't find his form due to the early dismissals of openers," he concluded.
It must be noted South Africa's win has given slight help to Pakistan's chances since Babar Azam and Co's road to the semi-final of the World Cup remains difficult with many hurdles in between.
As it is essential for Pakistan to win their remaining matches, in an ideal scenario, the Green Shirts should beat New Zealand in the next game and hope the Black Caps lose to Sri Lanka.
If the Black Caps lose their matches, they'd end the group stage with eight points, and Pakistan can qualify for the knockout stage with 10 points should they beat their next two opponents.
Pakistan currently stand at the fifth spot with six points while New Zealand are at fourth with eight points.
Faizan Lakhani Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.- Mohammad Rizwan