Cricket fans are left scratching their heads after Shaheen Shah Afridi bestowed a rather lofty title upon his teammate, Mohammad Rizwan, dubbing him the ‘Bradman of T20 cricket’. This declaration came just a day after Pakistan’s humiliating defeat to New Zealand’s second-string team in the ongoing T20I series.
Shaheen took to Twitter to congratulate Rizwan on reaching the milestone of 3000 runs in T20I cricket, hailing him as Pakistan’s “Superman” and likening him to the legendary Australian cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman.
However, the timing of Afridi’s praise left many scratching their heads, considering Pakistan’s dismal performance on the field just the day before.
Cheers to Muhammad Rizwan – the Bradman of T20 cricket and Pakistan's SuperMan for hitting 3,000 T20I runs! 🏏🌟 Your impact has transformed the game and silenced the skeptics. Keep soaring, champion! You're an inspiration to many. @imrizwanpak 🌟💪 pic.twitter.com/JKnoxfEeUF
— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) April 22, 2024
Netizens wasted no time in poking fun at Afridi’s statement, flooding social media with a barrage of hilarious memes and sarcastic comments about “Don Rizwan Bradman.” One fan couldn’t help but question the sincerity of Afridi’s post, asking if it was meant to be taken sarcastically.
The Bradman of T20 cricket 😭😭
Is this a sarcastic post, or do you really mean it?
— Sir BoiesX (@BoiesX45) April 22, 2024
Another user humorously labelled Afridi’s tweet for Rizwan as “Umbarrasing,” while some speculated that perhaps Afridi’s praise was his way of subtly expressing frustration over losing his captaincy to Babar Azam.
Amid the banter, cricket enthusiasts couldn’t ignore the irony of Afridi’s declaration, especially considering Rizwan’s underwhelming performance in the recent match against New Zealand’s makeshift team.
Despite Pakistan’s strong start with the bat, the team failed to put up a threatening score as Rizwan, presumably injured, played a sluggish knock. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Mark Chapman’s explosive innings ultimately led the visitors to victory, handing Pakistan their first loss under Babar Azam’s re-captaincy.
