Vusumuzi Dube
Mehluli Sibanda, Sports Editor
ZIMBABWEAN cricketer, Sikandar Raza, has moved one place up in the MRF Tyres International Cricket Council Men’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings.
Raza is ranked 11th in the world with 148 rating points. He is one of the four Zimbabwean players in the top 20 and all of them happen to be batsmen who also bowl spin. Sean Williams is down at number 13 with 145 points, Wessly Madhevere is 15th on 127 points while Ryan Burl’s 123 rating points see him number 19.
The four are some of the players to shine when Zimbabwe plunge into battle at the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Zimbabwe start off their campaign in the tournament in the first round where they will clash with Ireland, West Indies and Scotland.
A top two finish in the pool will see the Dave Houghton coached Chevrons proceed to the Super 12 stage of the competition where they will get to meet stiffer opposition. Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa are some of the potential opponents for Zimbabwe should they qualify for the Super 12 phase of the tournament.
Zimbabwe were absent when the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman after they missed the qualifying tournament in 2019 due to the country’s membership being suspended. This was after the ICC deemed that the action taken by the Sports and Recreation Commission to suspend the Zimbabwe Cricket board amounted to “third party” interference, a violation of the world cricket governing body’s statutes.
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