CCTV Interview — Rizwan Cheema

Full Name: Rizwan Cheema

DOB: 15/08/1978
Birthplace: Pakistan
Batting Style: RHB (Top Order)
Bowling Style: RA Medium
Domestic Club: PCB (TDCA)

I caught up with Rizwan Cheema before he left for Sri Lanka to take part in the T20 4 Nation Cup before team Canada heads to the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifying tournament in Dubai next month.

From the moment I started watching Cricket, my favourite player has always been Wasim Akram.  I loved the way he ran in and made the ball move in 3 different directions before it reached the batsman.  And I always got excited when he came into bat, in hopes that he would start launching sixes over the mid-wicket boundary.

Then Shahid Afridi came along.  It’s hard not to catch ‘Boom-Boom’ fever anytime he strolls in to bat.  After leading Pakistan to the T20 world cup finals victory with outstanding performances in the semi’s and final, he’s shown the world that he might just be able to reign in his natural aggressiveness and become a more mature player.

But, now I have a new favourite player.  His name is Rizwan Cheema and although the rest of the world might not know him (…yet), he is an entertainer just like the above mentioned Afridi and Akram.  His raw talent and ability to smash the ball all over the field have earned him the praise and respect of the international players he has played against.  He also bowls some handy medium pace and has a habit of picking up timely wickets.

‘Don’t look at the bowler, just look at the ball..’

I think that sentence right there sums up Rizwan’s attitude.  It doesn’t matter who he is playing against, he brings a swagger to the crease that is rare in batsmen that play for the ICC associate nations once they take on the big boys.

I love that he’s just as humble as the first day I met him in 2005.  Although his profile in world cricket has grown larger, he has managed to stay grounded and has worked very hard to improve his overall game.  Everyone in Canada is rooting for him to bring us to even higher levels on the world stage before he’s done.  A good 2010 will serve him well in trying to qualify for the IPL next year after narrowly missing out in the upcoming IPL 3.  Right now, however, the focus is on getting Canada into the T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

(BTW, I’m sorry this video is so late getting up.  I know a lot of you have been waiting for it.  I hope it was worth the wait.  It’s my first video interview, so I know it could be better, but I’ve learned a lot from this experience, and I’m sure the next one will be a lot better!)

Catch Rizwan Cheema, Ashish Bagai and the rest of the boys in action!  Order your access to the T20 4 Nation Cup Live Webcast in Sri Lanka from the Cricket Canada homepage.