Raza’s gift to Zimbabwe

BORN in Sialkot in the North-Eastern region of Pakistan, it is believed that Zimbabwe Cricket’s star boy, Sikandar Raza’s ambition as a young boy was to be a pilot.

Raza’s dream got shattered in his third year when he failed an eye test in the Air Force College but went on to enrol at Glasgow Caledonian University where he then took up a sport that would lead him to Zimbabwe.

Playing cricket as a semi-profession, Raza moved to Zimbabwe where his parents resided and would go on to make his professional debut in 2007 at the age of 21 where he featured for Northerns in the country’s First Class set-up, still a student at that time.

After finishing his studies and taking up cricket full-time, Raza would go on to make a name for himself in the domestic set-up to the point that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) could not ignore him and made necessary arrangements to get him papers that would qualify him to play international cricket for Zimbabwe in 2013.

He would go on to make his international debut on May 3 2013, in a One Day International (ODI) series between the Chevrons and Bangladesh in Bulawayo and it wasn’t a rosy start to his career as he fell for just three runs on debut.

But that was just the beginning of an era that would dominate Zimbabwean cricket for years. Raza, to date, is the most consistent cricketer in Zimbabwe and has solidified his status as one of the country’s finest players. He has become a household name not only in Zimbabwe but globally.

With the passion and love that he possesses for the game and country, Raza in the past years has become Zimbabwe’s best cricketer; giving his all with both bat and ball whenever he dons the national colours.

The fire within Raza whenever he plays for Zimbabwe is a means of saying “thank you” to Zimbabweans who gave him a home and welcomed him with warm hands as one of their own.

Without Zimbabwe the name Raza probably wouldn’t have been known world over and in his own words, the passion, dedication, fire and love that he has for this country is a gift to all Zimbabweans, a way of saying thank you.

He has given his blood and sweat on and off the cricket field and all that is to say thank you for accepting him as one of us.

“This country has given me a home, a name, fame, love and everything I could possibly wish and ask for.

“So the fire within me that you see is because I want to return that and nothing that I could do inside the cricket park or outside will ever be enough but at least I’m trying my hardest to return something to the people that have accepted me as one of their own,” said Raza.

To date, Raza has played over 230 matches for Zimbabwe scoring over 7 000 runs in all three formats while also taking over 170 wickets. Raza has been an integral part of Zimbabwe, helping the Chevrons win matches with his unwavering all round performance.

It is in white ball cricket where Raza has been more lethal for the Chevrons. In 132 ODI innings (from 139 matches), Raza has amassed 4 143 runs at an average of 36,99 with a high score of 141 runs. He has seven centuries under his name and 21 half-centuries. In T20Is, Raza has 74 innings (78 matches) and has scored 1 774 runs at 25, 34 with 12 half-centuries. He has a T20I high score of 87 runs.

In the longest version of the game, Test, the 37-year-old all-rounder has managed to play 17 games for Zimbabwe (33 innings) scoring 1 187 runs at 35,96 with a high score of 127 runs. He has one ton and eight half-centuries.

With ball in hand, Raza has taken 85 wickets in 109 ODI innings (from 139 matches) at an average of 42,97 and an economy rate of 4,90. He has best match figures of 4/55 in ODIs while in T20Is, the Chevrons skipper has 55 scalps under his name in 67 innings (from 78 matches) at 23,01 and an economy rate of 7,05 with best match figures of 4/8. In Tests, Raza has picked up 34 wickets at 42,38 and an economy of 3,25. His best bowling figures in an innings are 7/113.

Raza has been lifting the Zimbabwean flag up high wherever he plays with some of his major highlights coming during his debut Indian Premier League (IPL) season with Punjab Kings where he became the first Zimbabwean to score a half-century and be named Player of the Match in an IPL game.

Some of the records that he has achieved in a Zimbabwe Cricket shirt include being twice named in the ESPN Cricinfo T20 team of the year, nomination for ICC T20 Player of the Year for two consecutive years.

Last year, he broke the record for the most Player of the Match awards (nine), most Player of the Match awards in succession (four), most half-centuries by a Zimbabwean in T20Is (six), Most runs by a Zimbabwean in T20Is (515 runs), and the most half-centuries in succession in T20I (four). He also became the first Zimbabwean to get a hat-trick in T20Is (vs. Namibia) and the fourth Zimbabwean to reach 50 T20I wickets.
@brandon_malvin