Sikandar Raza

Raza's Insatiable Passion For Cricket:

 It has been quite a journey for Zimbabwe, especially over the past two years. Since its ban from international cricket in 2019 and its ineligibility for the 2020 T20 World Cup (2021), the country has been on a roll, especially in the white ball format.

Slow but steady reminders that they're here to compete.

Sikandar Raza is at the forefront of a revival that has put Zimbabwe back on the map - a team not to be taken lightly, who will defy all odds - not just by fighting but by winning. Raza also suffered a setback when he was diagnosed with underlying bone marrow cancer, and it took him a while to shake that off and get back on top.
However, in April 2021 the tumor was removed and Raza is free of any geriatric illnesses.

"In 2021 I was diagnosed with underlying cancer and a tumor in my bone marrow which led to multiple surgeries. Then my marrow was filled with drugs and synthetic bones to dissolve it from so if I had an infection in my marrow it dies so the infection I was under observation for two years but my results came back positive and healthy,” Raza said in a chat with Cricket.Com.
"At the time, I just said, 'O Allah, if you decide that this is the end of my career, may you help me to find peace. If your will is that it ends up being an injury potentially deadly and may you will be that my time is over Well let me reconcile as well So that fits my line of thinking,” he added, recalling that step. de Raza paid off especially in 2022 with 645 runs in ODI for 49.61 for eight wickets. In T20Is he smashed 735 runs in over 150 at-bats but what added another dimension to his game was his bowling in this form, winning 25 scalps at a miserable saving rate of six.
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After the aforementioned surgery and a shoulder injury, Raza was unable to bowl with his old form, so some adjustments had to be made to ensure he didn't have to give up bowling altogether. Luckily for him, he worked closely with Sunil Narine during his time in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and he wanted to replicate his performance and it was very successful.
Despite the prom's success, Raza doesn't feel like she's currently bowling.
I often complain to Sunil bhai that I don't put the ball where I want it to be or that I don't have the slickest moves. successful sizzle I want.
I would say it has improved, control has improved, and landing has improved, but there is still a bit to do.
"I believe that's what motivates me to keep going, the enthusiasm of wanting to advance, it's the aspect of my bowling that's missing and things like that."So I piss him off."
He was amazing last year Impressive all-around performance earned him a spot in the ICC ODI and T20I Teams of the Year - a feat which Raza says has gone goes a long way towards elevating and valuing Zimbabwe.
"He didn't quite penetrate, honor itself.
But the fact is a lot of people are talking about Zimbabwe, more and more people are watching Zimbabwe, more and more people are cheering for Zimbabwe, more and more people are enjoying the way we play cricket,” said the 36-year-old player. -old.
"Our country has recently received greater respect and recognition, and if I had even a small part in that, that's what makes me truly pleased and happy, not a particular honor.
As far as the T20 World Cup 2022 is concerned, Zimbabwe is very sure to reach the semi-finals. This is a feat in itself because they must first qualify and then play the first round of the big tournament before reaching the Super 12 If they make it to the last four, it's sure to be a fairy tale no matter what happens next.
They were saved by rain in their Super 12 opener against South Africa before a thrilling win over Pakistan. Chevron can advance to the next round if they win two of their next three games against Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and India.

However, they lost some momentum after their game against Pakistan, losing all three games and being eliminated after giving so much hope.

Although it's not an excuse, our crew travels the most.I don't think any other team has flown as many air miles as Zimbabwe.
So play, pack, travel, train, play. There is a match every three days. Eventually, I think fatigue took over," said Raza, who scored 219 runs and took 10 wickets in the game.

"The Bangladesh game hurt us a lot. The body is tired and the person is also tired.
So it's something we're not used to, but it's a lesson we've learned.
Zimbabwe's recent success would not have been possible without their manager, Dave Houghton, who Raza says turned things around with his magic wand.

"He keeps saying he doesn't have a wand, but I'm telling you he does. He must have taken that wand into the locker room, which he always denied", Raza said.
"This man is a revolutionary.
He changed us all little by little with what he said. But it carries a lot of weight: how much accountability and honesty he brings to the dressing room, how much camaraderie he creates in the dressing room, and how he uplifts and honors seniors. He has a magic wand, let me put it that way.

Raza, who recently represented the capital of Dubai at ILT20, said he was delighted to add another "family" to his list of foreign professional players sharing the dressing room.
It gave me the opportunity to be one of those junior players because I had a lot of senior players around me," Raza said of the UAE league.

Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe on receiving T20I and ODI Team of the Year caps: These Are The Times When One Is Lost For Words:

HARARE [ZIMBABWE], Jan 29th (ANI): Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza has expressed his joy at being recognized as the ICC T20I and ODI Team of the Year. Top stars all over the world for his outstanding performance last year."These are moments that a person can only experience once, and that is exactly how I feel humbled and honored to salute the #t20 and #odi team of the year Accept #alhamdulillah and #alwaysalhamdulillah for everything Thank you all for your #visitzimbabwe prayers," Raza tweeted. Sikandar Raza had a great year with the stick and also contributed significantly on the ball in the T20Is.

He was at the center of everything that happened in Zimbabwe cricket this year, the all-rounder delivering one fine performance after another in the shorter forms.

Not only was he Zimbabwe's top scorer with 735 runs and five halves, but he also led the way for them with 25 wickets and a save rate of 6.13. He was Player of the Tournament of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup B Qualifiers in July and has been on his big tournament form, winning Man of the Match three times, including Zimbabwe's epic victory over Pakistan in Perth. In the league, he scored 219 points in eight games, including 50.
He also took 10 wickets in the game. They finished 11th in the competition. In the ODIs, Raza amassed 645 carries at an average of 49.61 on a strike rate of 87.16, adding two 50s for three centuries.
With the ball in hand, Raza was always reliable, taking eight wickets while conceding more than five apiece. The ODI will be played with the first game on January 18, the second game on Saturday, January 21, and the third and final game on January 23. (Ind), Sam Curran (Eng), Wanindu Hasaranga (SL), Haris Rauf (Pak), Josh Little (Ire) ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year: Babar Azam (c) (Pak), Travis Head (Aus), Shai Hope (WI), Shreyas Iyer (Ind), Tom Latham (wk) (NZ), Sikandar Raza (Zim), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Ban), Alzarri Joseph (WI), Mohammed Siraj (Ind ), Trent Boult (NZ), Adam Zampa (Australia). (Arni)

The Lahore Qalandars welcome Sikandar Raza.:

The Qalandars franchise cricket team from Lahore have made major changes to their roster, adding Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza in place of Mohammad Hafeez.
Raza has earned a reputation in recent years for his impressive performance and efficient bowling style which includes the hidden ball technique.
The 36-year-old's addition to the Lahore Qalandars squad is expected to bring a new level of energy and skill to the team.
With his batting and ball prowess, Raza is set to make a big difference in the upcoming cricket season.
Sikandar Raza was chosen by the Lahore Qalandars to replace Mohammad Hafeez. Sikandar has become very effective in ball possession as he has changed the motion of concealing the ball. Sikandar has been doing very well for the past couple of years," Aaqib told Javed.

Lahore Qalandars hope the addition of Raza will help them edge closer to victory in the Pakistan Super League, where the top franchise cricket teams compete for the world's top prize.
The addition of Raza to the squad will make Lahore Qalandars a force to be reckoned with in the months to come.
Meanwhile, the versatile Raza has been cleared by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) to skip the next round of Test against West Indies and play in the International League T20 (ILT20) in the United Arab Emirates in 2023. Raza has been very good for Zimbabwe in 2022 and has provided a consistently winning performance.
He was recently named to the 2022 ICC Men's ODI Team and 2022 ICC Men's T20I Team.