At 39, Sikandar Raza still breaking new ground — for himself and Zimbabwe

TimesofIndia.com in Cape Town: Sikandar Raza’s journey from Sialkot to Zimbabwe was far from straightforward. It took him through unexpected detours that included dreams of becoming a pilot and earning a degree in computing from a university in Glasgow, before cricket finally took centre stage after his family moved to Zimbabwe.

After a sombre few years in international cricket, followed by a life-threatening bone marrow infection in 2021, the all-rounder, now in the twilight of his career has reinvented himself as a bona fide globetrotter across T20 leagues worldwide. Last week, he added another milestone by becoming the first cricketer from Zimbabwe to make an appearance in the SA20.



In a professional career spanning close to two decades, the 39-year-old Raza has featured for a whopping 43 teams, 22 just in different leagues, and continues to shuttle between tournaments with ease. One such move was ahead of him after wrapping the ILT20 campaign with the Sharjah Warriorz as he was set to join the Paarl Royals in South Africa.

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The veteran, however, faced one of the biggest setbacks in his life as he lost his 13-year-old brother in Harare on December 29. It happened around the time he was scheduled to join his SA20 team for the ongoing fourth edition of the T20 tournament. Putting the personal tragedy aside, Raza made a strong statement by joining the Paarl Royals for the SA20 and has made an instant impact in his two outings so far.

"I think that part of my life will always be difficult,” Raza said in a select media interaction after the Royals beat MI Cape Town on Sunday. “But I did say to my team as well, if I wasn't mentally, physically and emotionally ready, I wouldn't be here. ‘The fact that I think that I can add value, I've decided to join you, and I will take nothing away from you. I'll give as much as I can to the team, the energy, the experience, whatever you ask me to do, I'll do it’. So yeah, it's nice to be here,” he further added.

Every wicket he took in the backdrop of the table top mountain at Newlands was celebrated with renewed gusto. The slight arch of the back, arms spread wide and the feisty fist pump with gentle raise of the right knee happened not once but on four occasions as he ran through the MI unit with figures of 4/13. A street-smart cricketer who offers a complete package in the shortest format, Raza has had outings in leagues like IPL, BPL, PSL and ILT20 and feels good performances by Zimbabweans opens up more doors for players back home.

"That is the whole idea, and that is the point as well. If you look at the last few years, whenever a Zimbabwean has gone to a league and done well, it has certainly opened doors for more Zimbabweans. I really feel blessed by the fact that I am the first Zimbabwean to play the SA20, and hopefully my performances can open doors for other Zimbabweans as well," said Raza.

Raza is a story of grit, faith and belief in the game. The personal challenges, professional setbacks have only pushed him to do better.

"I remember there was a time when I used to look at the cricketers that used to do the circuit and I always used to say, Allah, when will my turn come? Now that my turn is here, I am grateful for every opportunity, for every team that have signed me, for every country I've been to. And I will not take anything for granted. I used to pray for times like this. Now that Allah has granted me this time, I will be forever grateful to Allah and to every single team that I've been part of," explained an emotional Raza.

While there are rare off days in an year for Raza the T20 freelancer and he chooses to spend them indoors. Limelight isn't something which excites him but the veteran does hope that his actions can inspire other Sikandars in Zimbabwe.

"To be honest with you, when cricket is done, I try and stay away from the limelight, from people. I just try and stay indoors. I don't like to hear or speak about myself, but if the conversations are happening, then Alhamdulillah, I feel very blessed. But having said that, hopefully my actions will inspire rather than hearing about what people think of me or what others are thinking about me. All I'm looking at is trying to keep doing the things I'm doing at the best of my ability, and hopefully my performances can inspire the other Sikanders in Zimbabwe and all over the world," said the all-rounder.

In around a month's time, Raza will have the Zimbabwe jersey on for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Having beaten Pakistan in the 2022 edition of the multi-nation tournament, the captain is geared up for the challenge and asserts how respect in world cricket is earned by good performances in the World Cup.


"Well, that's the idea because the World Cup is really crucial in every cricketer's life. And I always think for Zimbabwe to gain more respect in world cricket, World Cups play a huge part. So we have the mindset to go there and try and do really well so that we can come back with our goals set high and so that our people back home can have their heads high as well," said Raza.

Raza has had ideal preparation for the T20 World Cup with outings in the ILT20 and SA20, and would now hope that the rest of the group finds inspiration to punch above the weight when the T20 extravaganza gets underway next month.


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