"I don't know English, and I'm not educated", Mohammad Rizwan says on being trolled for his "win or learn” remark

Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of the Multan Sultans and Pakistan's ODI team, talked candidly about his poor English and how he was made fun of for saying "win or learn." He claimed to be uneducated and unable to communicate in English. He wants to concentrate on playing cricket, which is his main profession.

The 'win or learn' statement made by Rizwan during a press conference for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 season was ridiculed by a Pakistani journalist the day before.

A Pakistani reporter recently made fun of Rizwan during the captains' press conference before the PSL 2025 season began. 

The journo questioned whether the Multan Sultans, under Rizwan's leadership, would eventually begin to win after "learning" for years, making fun of his famous "win or learn" statement.

“Aisa hai ki mujhe result ki parwa nahin hai. Result Allah ke haath mein hai. Allah ne jo cheez hamaare haath mein di hai, usko hum fulfil karne ki koshish karenge, chahe woh hard work ho ya awareness ho. Koshish toh hum poori karenge. Allah win bhi deta hai, learn bhi deta hai. Humne usse seekhna hai,” Rizwan stated.

Under Mohammad Rizwan’s captaincy, Pakistan didn’t qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and then lost to New Zealand 0-3 recently.

Mohammad Rizwan responds to being trolled for his poor English

Prior to his team's opening match of the PSL 2025 season, Rizwan responded to the criticism by acknowledging that his lack of formal education is the reason for his poor English-speaking skills. Rizwan did, however, add that he remains proud of the fact that his words are genuine.

“I don’t care [about social media trolling]. I am proud of one thing, and that is whatever I say, I say from my heart. I don’t know English. The only regret is that I did not get enough education, but I am not even one percent ashamed that I can’t speak English despite being the captain of the Pakistan cricket team,” Rizwan stated at the press conference.

“The demand from me is cricket, not English. There is a regret that I did not complete my education, which is why I struggle in speaking English. Pakistan is not demanding English from me. If that were the case, I would leave cricket to become a professor, but I do not have that much time,” he added.

Rizwan acknowledged that it is a "valid point" when questioned why he does not speak Urdu or accompany a translation during media interactions and broadcaster interviews, but he underlined that he does not feel the need for a translator because he feels he can clarify what he wants to say.

“That is a valid point that we should speak Urdu, but sometimes we feel that we can speak much to make someone understand [what I am saying]. If an Englishman comes here, I can communicate with him and can even roam around the city for a day, and he would not feel anything. Only those who are mad at me,” he concluded.

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