LAHORE: RawalPindiz Coach Justin Kemp threw his weight behind captain Mohammad Rizwan and shown his intention of making some adjustments in the second leg of the tournament.
After RawalPindiz suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the Pakistan Super League 2026, head coach Justin Kemp addressed the media, offering a his assessment of the team’s struggles while reaffirming his faith in captain Mohammad Rizwan and the squad’s potential.
Kemp acknowledged that young batter Abdullah Fazal could be considered for a promotion in the batting order, particularly as an opener. “He’s shown what he can do. He had an amazing season locally and what we’ve seen in practice, he’s certainly somebody with a great future for Pakistan. His name will definitely come into our thinking,” Kemp said.
The coach emphasized that while the team has backed its current top-order players, adjustments could be made as the tournament progresses. Questions were raised about Rizwan’s leadership, given RawalPindiz’s poor run of results. Kemp, however, was unequivocal in his support.
“Of course I’m happy with Rizwan. He’s a legend of the game. He hasn’t got the runs he wants, but his captaincy is good. We just haven’t had enough runs to bowl to, and we haven’t bowled well enough to be brutally honest,” Kemp explained.
He added that Rizwan’s experience and resilience would help him turn his form around, insisting that the captain remains central to the team’s plans. Kemp admitted that RawalPindiz’s defeats were not solely down to leadership but reflected collective shortcomings. “It’s obviously not great that we’ve lost four games, but some guys haven’t played as well as they should have, and some haven’t bowled as well as they should have. We’re just trying to find the best and get the best out of them,” he said.
The coach stressed that the tournament is far from over and expressed confidence that improvements would come in the next few matches. Despite the setbacks, Kemp’s tone remained optimistic. He reiterated his belief in the squad’s ability to bounce back, pointing to the importance of tactical flexibility and player development. With the Karachi leg of the PSL approaching, RawalPindiz will be eager to break their losing streak and reignite their campaign. Rizwan calls for balance ahead of Karachi leg RawalPindiz skipper Mohammad Rizwan has called for balance during the second leg at Karachi.
Following RawalPindiz’s third consecutive defeat in the Pakistan Super League 2026, captain Mohammad Rizwan admitted that his side needs both tactical adjustments and a change in fortune as the tournament moves to Karachi.
Highlighting the team’s struggles, Rizwan acknowledged that conditions have played a role in shaping results and emphasized the importance of adaptability.
“Conditions will change and our planning will change, and hopefully our luck changes (in Karachi). Important to keep a balanced side and the toss hasn’t been on our side, that has affected results too,” he said.
RawalPindiz, despite flashes of brilliance with the bat from Sam Billings and Dian Forrester, have struggled to defend totals, with their bowling unit leaking runs at crucial stages. Rizwan’s comments underline the need for recalibration as the team seeks to break its losing streak.
With the Karachi leg offering fresh pitches and a different atmosphere, the RawalPindiz skipper hopes his side can regroup, find the right balance in team selection, and turn their campaign around.
