Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
TUSKERS and national cricket team all-rounder Sikandar Raza is excited at the prospect of being the first Zimbabwean to play in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The Pakistan-born Zimbabwean batting mainstay is expected to leave the country on August 2 to join his teammates in Trinidad and Tobago.
Raza is part of the Trinbago Knight Riders squad released by the CPL in a virtual show aired on Facebook on Monday.
The 2020 CPL T20 championship, which is subject to government approval, is expected to take place in Trinidad and Tobago from August 18 to September 10.
It will feature six teams, defending champions Barbados Trident, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), St Kitts/Nevis Patriots, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs and St Lucia Zouks.
Raza is part of five foreign nationals at TKR, with the others being Pakistan-born Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed, West Indies Under-19 fast bowler Jayden Seales, the New Zealand pair of wicketkeeper Tim Seifert and Colin Munro, Pakistan-born US fast bowler Ali Khan as well as Pravin Tambe.
This is not the first time Raza has been selected to play T20 cricket outside Zimbabwe.
In June 2018, he was selected to play for the Montreal Tigers in the players’ draft for the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada tournament.
In October of the same year, he was named in the Tshwane Spartans’ squad for the first edition of the Mzansi Super League T20 tournament.
Later in the same month, he was named in the squad for the Chittagong Vikings team, following the draft for the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League.
In July 2019, Raza was selected for the Amsterdam Knights in the inaugural edition of the Euro T20 Slam cricket tournament, but the competition was cancelled a month later.
An ecstatic Raza, who is part of Zimbabwe national team players that have been training after testing negative for coronavirus, hopes his move will open avenues for other Zimbabwean cricketers.
“CPL was missing from the CV and I’m glad it’s now there. But most importantly, I’m glad that there will be Zimbabwean representation. What I believe in is that if one goes, then he’ll bring another one and then if the two impress, the number will double. I’m hopeful that more Zimbabweans can be snapped up next season,” Raza said.
On balancing CPL and national team duties, the right-handed batsman said: “I will only go if there are no national team games. I will not be missing on national duties, country assignments always come first.”
Veteran leg-spinner, 48-year-old Tambe, will become the first Indian player to feature in the CPL.
TKR manager Colin Borde described Raza as an explosive player.
“Each of the three players (Seifert, Tambe and Raza) bring something different to the team. We always keep a core of players, but freshen up with a few new players.
“We have, in Tambe, loads of experience while both Seifert and Raza are explosive players,” said Borde.
TKR, the 2017 and 2018 champions, have retained 11 players, who include the Bravo Brothers, Dwayne and Darren, West Indies T20 captain Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Amir Jangoo, Tion Webster, Akeal Hosein, Munro and fast bowler Khan. Borde said his team is well balanced and made up of players that can adapt to all conditions. — @ZililoR
Online Reporter