adminMohammed Isam
SIKANDAR Raza’s shriek from the middle as soon as Tony Munyonga struck the winning runs in the second ODI on Sunday pierced through the din at the Harare Sports Club.
His excitement was understandable.
Raza had just led Zimbabwe to their first ODI series win against Bangladesh in nine years, nailing two tough chases in the space of three days.
It was Raza’s weekend and his month, as he enjoyed the sort of batting form rarely seen in Zimbabwe. In just four weeks, Raza has scored 607 runs across formats at an average of 101.16, with two centuries and four fifties, coupled with 11 wickets at 22.18 apiece.
He became the first player to score multiple hundreds at No. 5 or below, in ODI chases of the same series.
Along the way, he was part of two record partnerships, bagged figures of 4 for 8 in the final T20 World Cup qualifiers, and took some key catches.
Simply put, Raza has been the main reason for Zimbabwe’s transformation from a side that suffered shattering defeats against Afghanistan and Namibia earlier this year to one that has beaten Bangladesh in both T20Is and ODIs.
He was the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup qualifiers, the Player of the Series for the T20Is against Bangladesh, and must be the frontrunner for the award in the ODIs too.
When Raza was playing a T20 tournament in Rajshahi, in Bangladesh, this June, little did he know how much his life would change in the coming months.
At the time, qualifying for the T20 World Cup was his only concern.
He fretted thinking about the heartbreak of 2019.
At the age of 36, this was his make-or-break moment. And how he has pulled it off will likely become part of Zimbabwe cricket folklore.
After his unbeaten 135 ensured Zimbabwe chased down 304 in the opening ODI against Bangladesh, Raza raised his game in the second match.
Along with the new captain Regis Chakabva, he took Zimbabwe from 49 for 4 in the 15th over to a win with 15 balls to spare on Sunday. Raza had earlier taken 3 for 56 to restrict Bangladesh in the death overs.
The big crowds in Harare and Bulawayo were witness to Raza’s heroics in the last four weeks. He started with a 40-ball 87 against Singapore in a T20I and his last knock was 117 not out on Sunday.
A bowling attack strengthened by left-arm spin couldn’t stop him.
He methodically took apart the Bangladesh attack – going after the best bowler of the day Hasan Mahmud – and rotated the strike consistently to ensure his partners never got stuck at one end.
In all these recent matches, Raza helped Zimbabwe stay ahead in the game, giving the impression that a big over was just around the corner.
That threat made opposition captains and bowlers think, rethink, and overthink their plans against him.
Luck, too, played its part. Raza survived chances in the 40s in both ODIs against Bangladesh but as the saying goes, fortune favours the brave.
And, Raza has been brave.
What has made this success sweeter for Raza is how it has helped his team, and how he has overcome personal difficulty.
Last year, Raza had a bone marrow infection in his right shoulder that was suspected to be cancerous. His return, three months later, was fraught with doubt because he wasn’t sure whether he could bowl or even throw properly.
Zimbabwe’s struggles in the last 15 years adds more sheen to Raza’s runs and wickets.
Raza is now giving Zimbabwe cricket fans something to cheer about, and his form bodes well ahead of tougher assignments against India and Australia later this month, but breaking Bangladesh’s run of five straight ODI series wins is an achievement too. – Cricinfo
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter