Learning process just as important as experience: Rizwan

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan played a few vital knocks this BPL as Comilla Victorians ensured playoff qualification with a thumping 70-run win over Rangpur Riders today. Rizwan will depart from Dhaka today having played his last BPL game this edition and gave his views on the lack of 'common sense' factor which Comilla coach Mohammad Salahuddin had eluded to during one of his press conferences during the ongoing BPL.

"I have said previously that some players in our country play with their brain but a majority just don't. When the question is common, they do well. But if anything is from outside their syllabus, they can't. That is very disappointing. When you have been playing for over 10-12 years you need to have some common sense," the Comilla coach had said earlier this month.

Rizwan noted that everyone has their own opinions but said his job was to give hundred percent and realising that was a big part of his work ethic.

"Everyone has their own suggestions. I am here to help him (Salahuddin), that is why I am the icon player for Comilla. What Comilla demands from me, I will do it 100%. And yes, not only for Bangladesh but every year we are looking for concentration and assessing the conditions," he said.

Salahuddin had used Rizwan as an example during that press conference to point out that Rizwan uses his abilities better than most local cricketers despite having limitations. Rizwan also pointed out that experience was not everything.

'As you play cricket, good cricket, experience comes to you but if you didn't go with the learning process you can't [do anything]. You will take retirement and you can't learn anything. But if you, from the beginning, to try and learn to assess the pitch condition, environments, what the pitch demands and the team demands [it will be better]. Yes, someone may criticise you, but you can look at it how you want to. So if you do that, at the end, you can get more and more experiences," he said.

Rizwan had been seen working with local players during Comilla net sessions. He did not want to divulge much but said: "I can't tell everything in here because it's something secret. If I tell you about it, then it doesn't help us somewhere but I'm trying. The player knows, since I shared things with the players."

There were special initiatives during the BPL games today to mark the language month, with international commentators along with local ones adorned in special clothes with Bangla letters imprinted on them. The players, match officials, presenters and commentators also wore armbands as a mark of respect.

Rizwan said that he did not know why the special arrangements were made.

"Sorry for that. I don't know what today is for Bangladesh but I wish them. I always get love from Bangladesh and from all the people. I get love here like I get in Peshawar where I am live now. The team required that everyone put on the bands [armbands] and so I did," he informed.