• Source:JND
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Indian umpire Anil Choudhary has spoken out against Mohammad Rizwan's habit of excessive appealing, describing it as irritating and theatrical. Despite Rizwan's impressive batting skills, including a recent score of 171* against Bangladesh, his tendency to appeal vigorously for almost every dismissal has drawn criticism from Choudhary.

The umpire likened Rizwan's behaviour to "pigeon jumping" and recalled a particularly frustrating experience officiating an Asia Cup match featuring Rizwan as Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batter.

"He appeals a lot. I even told my fellow umpire to stay aware. Har ball pe chillata hai (He keeps shouting on every ball). Isn't he the one who puts something like a lipstick? He keeps jumping like a pigeon. See, fact is a good umpire knows who is a good keeper. If the umpire is good, these keepers are losers," he said on the 2sloggers podcast.

"Aur itna technology aa gaya hai, kyun apna beizatti karwa rahein ho? Ulta seedha nikla jayega, toh log aap hi ka mazak udayenge (When technology has evolved so much, why do you have to make yourself look bad? People tend to make fun of such things)," he added.

Talking about Pakistan's first inning of the opening Test against Bangladesh, Rizwan played a heroic innings in Pakistan's first innings of the 1st Test, scoring a magnificent 171 off just 239 deliveries, adorned with 11 boundaries and three sixes.

Although he narrowly missed out on his maiden double century, Rizwan's impressive knock alongside Saud Shakeel helped rescue Pakistan's innings. His outstanding performance also led to a slew of record-breaking achievements, cementing his reputation as a skilled and impactful wicketkeeper-batter.

Rizwan's unbeaten score of 171* in the Test match has etched his name in the record books as the second-highest unbeaten score by a Pakistani wicketkeeper. He became the third Pakistani wicketkeeper to achieve a Test score of 150 or more, joining an elite group comprising Rashid Latif and Kamran Akmal.