Blessed to be first Keralite to hit century in ODI: CP Rizwan

By Arun Lakshman Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9 : Thalassery in north Kerala is considered the birth place of cricket in the state and has produced several cricketers at the state and junior national level.
The coastal town has also produced several political leaders like Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan. On Friday, Thalassery’s C.P. Rizwan became the first Keralite to score a century in a One Day International cricket match.
Rizwan scored a match-winning 109 off 136 balls playing for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against Ireland in the first match of the four-ODI series in Abu Dhabi. UAE, an associate member of the International Cricket Council, beat Test playing Ireland by six wickets.
IANS spoke to Rizwan after his historic knock and on what it means to the country he is representing and his hometown of Thalassery.
Excerpts: Q. What are your feelings on becoming the first person from Kerala to hit a century in an ODI?