BBL: Mohammad Rizwan retired by captain over slow scoring
Sydney: In an unusual incident during the Big Bash League (BBL), Melbourne Renegades captain Will Sutherland retired Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan during his innings, apparently due to slow scoring.
The incident occurred on Monday in the 33rd match of the 15th edition of the BBL, when Melbourne Renegades faced Sydney Thunder. Rizwan had scored 26 runs off 23 balls when the captain signaled him to leave the field.
A video shared by the BBL on social media shows Sutherland gesturing Rizwan back to the pavilion so that he himself could take the crease.
Commentators on the broadcast praised the decision, saying it could have been done a little earlier. The video quickly went viral, sparking strong reactions from cricket fans, many of whom called the forced retirement “embarrassing.”
Rizwan has struggled with the bat during the ongoing BBL season. In eight matches so far, he has scored 167 runs at an average of 20.88 and has yet to hit a half-century.
In the match, Melbourne Renegades posted 170 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs.