Wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan has acknowledged that Pakistan need to improve in several areas following the team\u2019s five-wicket loss to New Zealand in their World Cup warm-up in Hyderabad on Friday. \u201cThe main purpose of warm-up matches is to scrutinise the areas requiring improvement. In this regard, we did some experimentation in the [New Zealand] game which gave us encouraging results as well as underlined the things needing improvement,\u201d Rizwan said in his comments after the match. \u201cOur fielding in this warm-up was not as good as it has been during the past one and a half years. It is the [particular] area we need to work on. You will see change [in fielding] in the coming matches.\u201d Batting at number four, right-handed Rizwan in the warm-up hit an impressive century as Pakistan after electing to bat first totalled 345-5 off the stipulated overs inside an eerily empty Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The game was played behind closed doors due to a Hindu festival and security issues in the southern Indian city. Rizwan hit 103 with nine fours and two sixes in his 94-ball innings while skipper Babar Azam made 80. Young middle-order Saud Shakeel smashed a 53-ball 75. Rachin Ravindra and the returning Kane Williamson then played key knocks as New Zealand chased down the target with 6.2 overs to spare. Ravindra (97) and Williamson (54) put on 137 to put their team on course against a Pakistan attack missing pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi. Daryl Mitchell made 59 before Mark Chapman, who made 65 not out, sealed victory with a six. Talking about his hundred, the wicket-keeper\/batter said, \u201cA hundred is hundred in any conditions. I feel proud, confident and satisfied.\u201d According to Rizwan, playing a major event in India was in all probability going to be a different experience. \u201cPlaying and performing impressively for your country on India soil is emotionally a very different feeling. It is a challenge too. On our part, we\u2019ll try our best to come up to the expectations of our fans back in Pakistan,\u201d the 31-year-old said. Rizwan said the welcome Pakistan\u2019s World Cup squad received on its arrival in Hyderabad was tremendous. \u201cThe warm welcome and love we got from the Indian fans was stunning. The massive greeting in and outside the Hyderabad [Deccan] airport was like we had arrived in Karachi or Lahore after winning the World Cup,\u201d Rizwan stated. \u201cThe love from the Indian fans was the same which we find in the people in Pakistan.\u201d Meanwhile, Williamson made an encouraging half-century on his return from injury in the warm-up against Pakistan. The right-handed veteran has been ruled out of the Oct 5 tournament opener against England to give him more time to complete his rehabilitation from a knee surgery. Relieved of his captaincy duty in the warm-up, the 33-year-old Williamson did not look in any discomfort during his fluent half-century before retiring. \u201cJust great to get through with some batting and be out in the middle,\u201d he said after the warm-up. \u201cIt held up pretty well, so that\u2019s good. A little bit of icing afterwards, but it\u2019s all part of the process,\u201d Williamson said of his knee. Williamson said he was not sure of returning for the tournament after sustaining the injury during the Indian Premier League earlier this year. \u201cIt was certainly not a reality five months ago. I\u2019m fortunate with the recovery and being named in the squad was really exciting for me. \u201cI\u2019m just really looking forward to getting out there again, and it was nice to do that today.\u201d Pakistan play their final warm-up against Australia on Oct 3 at the same venue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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