Pakistan-born veteran all-rounder Sikandar Raza has firmly stated that he would only represent Zimbabwe in international cricket. The versatile cricketer made this clear while responding to a fan query about whether he ever considered playing for his country of birth.
Raza, 38, was born in Sialkot, Pakistan, in April 1986. He debuted for Zimbabwe in May 2013 and has since become a key member of the national side.
During a Q&A session with fans on his X handle on Saturday, August 3, Umar Farooq Kalson, an ex-director of PCB, asked Raza:
“Have you ever thought about playing for Pakistan? You could help resolve the middle-order batting woes.”
To this, the Zimbabwe stalwart replied:
“I am a born Pakistani and a product of Zimbabwe Cricket. I will only and ever represent Zimbabwe. They spent time and money on me, and I am only trying to repay their faith. Whatever I achieve will never even get close to repaying it. Zim is mine and am theirs fully.”
One of Zimbabwe’s most experienced cricketers, Raza has featured in 17 Tests, 142 ODIs, and 91 T20Is, scoring 1187, 4154, and 2037 runs, respectively. He has recorded one hundred and eight fifties in Test matches, along with seven tons and 21 half-centuries in ODIs.
The cricketer is also a decent off-spinner who can bowl leg-spin if needed. With the ball, he has claimed 34 wickets in Tests, with two five-wicket hauls, and has also picked up 88 scalps in ODIs and 66 in the T20I format.
Sikandar Raza Currently Representing Manchester Originals in The Hundred
Raza is currently part of the Manchester Originals squad for The Hundred. He has played three matches so far, registering scores of 13, 21, and 13 against Welsh Fire, Trent Rockets, and Southern Brave, respectively. With the ball, he picked up 2-29 against Trent Rockets in Manchester.
Overall, the Zimbabwe cricketer has featured in 248 T20 matches, scoring 5104 runs at a strike rate of 134.24, with 30 half-centuries. With the ball, he has claimed 145 scalps at an average of 28.12 and an economy rate of 7.41, including three four-wicket hauls.
Sikandar Raza’s unwavering loyalty to Zimbabwe and his impressive career statistics underscore his dedication and contribution to the team, making him a standout figure in international cricket.