Dubai: How Imran Khan inspired this Kerala-born cricketer to dream of World Cup hundred

CP Rizwan is determined to help the UAE qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup. — Supplied photo

No one would have raised an eyebrow if CP Rizwan, the 36-year-old Kerala-born cricketer, had announced his retirement after losing the captaincy and his place in the UAE team — just one year after leading the country in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

But Rizwan is not someone who would throw in the towel after a few setbacks.

A technically correct batsman who can pick a few wickets with his part-time spin, Rizwan is already looking ahead to the 2027 50 overs World Cup, hoping to regain a permanent place in the UAE ODI team and help them qualify for one-day cricket’s showpiece event.

“I have a big dream of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup and scoring a match-winning hundred,” Rizwan, who famously scored a match-winning ODI hundred against Test-playing team Ireland in 2021, told the .

But Rizwan will be 39 when the 2027 World Cup starts in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The advancing years, though, have failed to break his spirit as he draws inspiration from some of the most iconic cricketers the game has ever seen.

“My goals are big and when your goals are big, the obstacles will also be bigger,” he said.

“But I always believe it’s about the performance, not the age. If you look back, Imran Khan’s best-ever performance came at the age of 42 when he won the 1992 World Cup (as Pakistan captain). Sachin Tendulkar was 37 when he won the World Cup in 2011.

“So you will see many such great cricketers who defied age to perform at a high level. Of course, I am always open to giving opportunities to youngsters, but when it comes to performance, age should not be a factor.”

Losing his place in the UAE team did have a significant impact on his life as Rizwan lost his Emirates Cricket Board contract.

“It has been challenging and tough for sure to be not in the team. The family support has been crucial. Now I am back in the ODI team. But even when I was not in the team, I continued to work hard and score runs,” he said.

A qualified engineer, Rizwan has now opened a new cricket academy — Set Go Cricket — in Dubai.

“At the moment, I don’t have a contract, I am not having a job. Hopefully, the cricket academy will help give me financial stability,” he said.

“Having a regular income is important. I always believe that if you keep doing the right things, things will fall in place.”

Apart from the support from his family, Rizwan says he owes a lot to Khalaf Bukhatir, CEO of Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

“I want to thank Mr Khalaf Bukhatir for allowing me to play for Sharjah in Emirates D50, which helped me make a comeback into the UAE set-up,” he said.

“Also Seven Districts team owner Muhammed Haider has also been one of my biggest supporters. I owe a lot to these wonderful people who always back good cricketers.”

Rizwan, who has played 60 international matches since his debut, says UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput has been impressed with his commitment to the game.

“He was very happy with my work ethic, it was very good to hear those words from an experienced coach like him. It gave me the motivation to work even harder,” he said.

With dreams of playing in his first ODI World Cup, Rizwan has now reached the UK to gain some new experience in cricket.

“I am playing my first match this Saturday. It’s going to be a new experience for me as a cricketer to play in England,” he said.

“I will play in T20 and 50 overs formats, it will be a challenge to play in different conditions. But I am very excited and hopefully, it will help me improve as a cricketer.”