Tag: Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza, the Lahore Qalandars all-rounder, has addressed the speculation surrounding his participation in the remaining matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, which will resume on 17 May.

A few days earlier, the unexpected political tensions between India and Pakistan led to the league’s postponement, triggering a schedule clash as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revised their calendar post-ceasefire.

Now, Sikandar Raza has provided an update regarding his participation in the PSL 10 amid national duty.

“Dear All, I’ve been tagged and mentioned regarding my availability for PSL and the Historic Test match in England, ” he wrote on his post on the social media platform X.

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

“National duty is the top priority for me, and once picked, I will honour and fulfil it. All the reports of me missing the test match are not true at all,” he added.

Sikandar Raza addressed speculation regarding his return to Pakistan, denying claims that he would not return to his birth country.

“Regarding PSL, all the reports of me not returning to Pakistan are also not true,” he said.

The 39-year-old later also posted on his Instagram story with the caption: “Aa raha hoon In Sha Allah” [I’m coming, God willing].”

It is pertinent to mention that Zimbabwe are set to play England in a one-off historic Test at Trent Bridge, starting 22 May. The four-day Test will be Zimbabwe’s first on English soil since 2003.

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Sikandar Raza was added to the 15-man squad to face England. The all-rounder last played a Test match against Afghanistan at Bulawayo earlier this year. From 18 Tests, he has 1,286 runs at 36.74 and 38 wickets at 40.78.

The Pakistan-born cricketer had an outstanding performance in PSL 10, playing nine matches and scoring 228 runs at an impressive average of 45.60 and a strike rate of 162.85, which includes two half-centuries.

READ: New Zealand players unlikely to play in rescheduled PSL 10: reports

Star all-rounder Sikandar Raza has been recalled as Zimbabwe announced their 15-member squad for the one-off Test against England, scheduled to begin on May 22 at Trent Bridge.

The fixture holds historical significance, as it will be Zimbabwe’s first Test on English soil in over two decades, with their last appearance dating back to 2003.

Zimbabwe recently played a competitive two-match Test series in Bangladesh, which ended 1-1. The visitors had stunned the hosts with a three-wicket win in the first Test before Bangladesh bounced back to level the series.

Three changes have been made to the squad that toured Bangladesh. Sikandar Raza replaces Jonathan Campbell, adding much-needed experience and balance to the side.

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Clive Madande, fit again after an injury layoff, slots in as the backup wicketkeeper in place of Nyasha Mayavo.

Pacer Newman Nyamhuri has been brought in for the seamer-friendly English conditions, replacing young spinner Vincent Masekesa, who impressed on debut with a five-wicket haul but misses out this time.

Zimbabwe head coach Justin Sammons acknowledged the magnitude of the occasion and urged his players to back themselves against a world-class England outfit.

“We’re up against one of the best teams in the world, but the message is simple — we belong here,” said Sammons. “I want to see the guys walking out there with belief, embracing and enjoying the moment.”

Zimbabwe squad for England Test

Craig Ervine (captain), Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Nicholas Welch, Sean Williams.

READ: Pakistan batter urges Mohammad Rizwan to change his batting style

DHAKA: Sikandar Raza and Brian Bennett hit half-centuries as Zimbabwe secured an eight-wicket consolation victory over Bangladesh in the final T20I at Shere Bangla National Stadium on Sunday to avoid a 5-0 whitewash.

Captain Raza hit an unbeaten 72 off 46 to guide Zimbabwe to 158-2 after they restricted Bangladesh to 157-6. Meanwhile, Bennett struck 70 off 49 balls after picking up 2-20 with the ball.

Zimbabwe lost opener Tadiwanashe Marumani for one, but Bennett and Raza added 75 runs for the second wicket to put the visitors firmly in control.

Mohammad Saifuddin dismissed Bennett, who struck five fours and as many sixes, but Raza defied a muscle injury to see Zimbabwe to victory.

He struck six fours and four sixes in his unbeaten knock before Johnathan Campbell hit the winning single with nine balls to spare.

Mahmudullah Riyad earlier hit 54 off 44 balls for Bangladesh. The right-hander, who struck six fours and a six, put on 69 runs with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto to help Bangladesh recover from 15-3 after they were asked to bat.

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All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan added 21 off 17 balls after Najmul’s departure for 36 runs after facing 28 balls.

The hosts were in trouble when Blessing Muzarabani removed opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim for two and Brian Bennett struck twice in successive overs.

Bennett had opener Soumya Sarkar caught by Sean Williams at backward point for seven before he forced Towhid Hridoy to edge behind for one.

Mahmudullah launched a counter-attack, cracking three fours off the first four balls he faced.

Wellington Masakadza dismissed Najmul to break the partnership, but Shakib’s brief cameo kept the scoreboard ticking.

Luke Jongwe brought a premature end to Shakib’s innings, but Jaker Ali Anik hit an unbeaten 24 off 11 balls.

Notably, Bangladesh won the first four matches to attain an unassailable lead in the series.

READ: Sadaf Shamas opens up after Pakistan’s loss against England

Zimbabwe missing next month’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 would haunt the team for years, captain Sikandar Raza said Thursday on the eve of their white-ball series in Bangladesh.

Minnows Namibia and Uganda beat out Zimbabwe in the African leg of the qualifiers last year to join the world’s top teams at the tournament, jointly hosted by the United States of America (USA) and the West Indies.

“I think that’s something that will always be painful. Not just when we play, I think even when we retire,” Sikandar Raza told reporters in Chittagong.

“It’s not just pain that we’re feeling now, I think it’s something that we’re going to have to carry for a long time.”

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But he added that Zimbabwe had no shortage of motivation for their time in Bangladesh, with the first of five T20 matches beginning in Chittagong on Friday.

“We have a huge responsibility back home as well for the people and the kids that are playing this sport and the kids who want to make a career out of this sport,” he said.

“The future of the sport in (my) country is enough motivation for me to try and take away the pain.”

Zimbabwe’s tour will also be Bangladesh’s last series at home before they depart for the T20 World Cup.

READ: Salman, Hasan, Haris named in Pakistan squad for Ireland, England tour

KARACHI: Lahore Qalandars’ all-rounder Sikandar Raza has been fined 10 per cent of his match fee by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday.

Raza was fined for a Level 1 breach of PSL’s code of conduct for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.

The incident occurred during the Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators game at National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Sunday night.

The Zimbabwe all-rounder, on three different occasions during the game, raised his arms, shook his head and gestured that the delivery should have been called a wide ball, leading to a violation of article 2.8, which deals with a player showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a PSL game.

On-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Rashid Riaz levelled the charge against Sikandar Raza while match referee Ali Naqvi imposed the fine.

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Raza gave away 32 runs without a wicket in his four overs during Quetta Gladiators’ tense chase of 167 runs.

The Gladiators required 14 off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s final over with their mainstay Saud Shakeel and wicketkeeper batter Laurie Evans at the crease.

They had an unwanted start to the over as Evans fell on the first delivery, courtesy of a sharp catch in the deep by Tahir Baig.

Saud then smashed Shaheen for consecutive boundaries on the third and fourth delivery but managed only a single on the penultimate delivery, leaving the Gladiators needing four from one.

Mohammad Wasim Jr then displayed nerves of steel and heaved Shaheen for a six on the final delivery to seal the victory for his side.

READ: Shane Watson believes Wasim Jr. can play Andre Russell’s role for Pakistan

LAHORE: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars got a much-needed boost as renowned all-rounders Carlos Brathwaite and Sikandar Raza joined the squad ahead of their second Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 fixture.

According to the details, both Brathwaite and Raza will be available for selection for the Qalandars’ clash with Quetta Gladiators here on Monday.

“Sikandar, known for his all-round skills and dynamic presence on the field, joins Lahore Qalandars with a wealth of experience. His ability to contribute with both bat and ball adds a valuable dimension to the team’s strategy. He is part of Qalandars’ core and was retained in their roster but missed the opening game due to prior commitments in ILT20, which concluded on February 17 in Dubai,” the Qalandars said in a press release.

“Carlos Brathwaite, a T20 specialist and a renowned power-hitter, brings his explosive batting prowess and strategic bowling to the Lahore Qalandars lineup. He has been called up to strengthen the Qalandars’ bench.

“Both players are set to be available for the entire tournament, starting today, adding depth and international flair to Lahore Qalandars’ quest for glory.

“The team’s management expresses confidence in the newly acquired talent and believes their addition will play a pivotal role in the squad’s success.”

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Notably, the defending champions had a dismal start to their PSL 9 campaign on Saturday as they succumbed to an eight-wicket defeat against two-time champions Islamabad United.

Lahore Qalandars face a stiff challenge as they look to bounce back by defeating Gladiators, who started their PSL 9 campaign on a winning note.

READ: Team will do better in coming matches: Karachi Kings’ Masroor

HARARE: Sikandar Raza followed up his sensational four-for with a record century and powered Zimbabwe to thrash Netherlands by six wickets in the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier.

Sikandar Raza was the hero of Zimbabwe’s dominant six-wicket victory over the Netherlands as the home side chased down a mammoth 316-run target in just the 41st over for the loss of four wickets.

Earlier, Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine sent the Netherlands into bat first after the coin flipped in his favour.

The Netherlands had apparently made him pay for his decision to field first as the Dutch side piled up a massive 315/6 total on the scoreboard with openers Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd and skipper Scott Edwards leading the charge with half-centuries.

Dutch batters annihilated Zimbabwe bowlers in the first innings as most of them went for plenty but Sikandar Raza remained the exception as he returned with sensational figures of 4/55 in his 10 overs to bar the opposition from amassing a more daunting total.

The Netherlands opener Singh and O’Dowd scripted a promising start to their side as the paid added 120 runs for the first wicket before the latter was castled by Sikandar Raza in the 21st over.

O’Dowd scored 59 off 67 deliveries and hit 10 boundaries.

Raza then struck again in his next over to get rid of Wesley Barresi, who could score just four.

Having dealt with Raza’s quick twin strikes, Singh received liable support of his skipper Edwards and the pair stitched a vital 106-run partnership for the third wicket.

The pair appeared to have settled down and Singh moved 12 runs within his maiden ODI century, Raza struck again to crush his century hopes. He scored 88 off 111 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries.

Click to watch CWC Qualifier Live on ARY ZAP

Following his dismissal, the Netherlands two more wickets in quick successions as Bas de Leede and Teja Nidamanuru perished cheaply.

Skipper Edwards then put on a vital 59-run partnership with Saqib Zulfiqar, who carried his bat all the way through and remained unbeaten on a 31-ball 34.

Edwards smashed nine boundaries on his way to a 72-ball 83.

Set to chase a massive 316-run target, Sikandar Raza notched up the fastest century for Zimbabwe and made it an easy affair for his side.

He thwacked six boundaries and eight sixes on his way to top-score for Zimbabwe with a 54-ball 102.

Raza’s fireworks outshined Sean Williams’ magnificent 91-run knock which featured 10 boundaries and two sixes.

In another CWC Qualifier match, spirited Nepal drew alike outcomes as they blew away the United States of America (USA) by six wickets and 42 balls to spare.

Put into bat first in the sixth match of the CWC Qualifier, the USA could only raise 207 before bundling out in 49 overs despite a brisk century by Shayan Jahangir.

The wicketkeeper batter smashed 10 boundaries and three sixes on his way to a 79-ball 100 and remained not out as he ran out of partners.

Besides him, Sushant Modani (42) was the notable run-getter for the side while the rest failed in their second match of the CWC Qualifier campaign.

Karan KC led the bowling attack for Nepal with 4/43, followed by Gulshan Jha’s 3/52 and Dipendra Singh Airee’s 2/15.

Set to chase 208 to taste their first triumph in the ongoing CWC Qualifier, Nepal batters put on a collective effort to complete the pursuit in 43 overs.

Bhim Sharki played the anchoring role in Nepal’s calculated pursuit with a sensible 77 off 114 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries and a six and top-scored for his side.

Besides him, opening batter Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee were the other notable contributors with 39 each.

READ: Hasan Ali hopeful for inclusion in World Cup squad

KARACHI: Karachi Kings’ spinner Imran Tahir taught Rashid Khan’s googly to Lahore Qalandars’ Sikandar Raza following their sides clash here at National Bank Cricket Arena on Sunday.

Following the conclusion of the much-hyped clash of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight between arch-rivals Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars, the Zimbabwean all-rounder Raza, who is representing Qalandars approached seasoned spinner Tahir to learn valuable skills regarding leg spin.

Upon Raza’s request, Tahir taught him the googly which he learned from Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.

Taking to Twitter, the Qalandars shared footage of Tahir teaching Raza how to bowl Rashid’s style of googly.

“Learn the art of [Rashid Khan] googly from [Imran Tahir], [Sikandar Raza],” wrote Qalandars.

Learn the art of @rashidkhan_19 googly from @ImranTahirSA – @SRazaB24 #hblpsl8 #sabsitarayhumaray #qalandarscity #qalandarhum pic.twitter.com/EUhimm2hIY

— Lahore Qalandars (@lahoreqalandars) February 20, 2023

 

Speaking on the occasion, Raza termed franchise cricket a vital opportunity for him to learn different valuable skills from top stars.

“If there was no franchise cricket, I would not have had such opportunities to improve my skills. You don’t get all that in international cricket,” said Raza.

“Franchise cricket gives you an opportunity to learn a lot from the top stars of the world,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that dominant Kings thrashed arch-rivals Qalandars by a massive margin of 67 runs to mark their comeback on the winning track in the ongoing PSL 8.

READ: Nida Dar becomes joint-highest wicket-taker in Women’s T20Is

HARARE: Zimbabwean batters Innocent Kaia and Sikandar Raza smashed a century each to power the hosts seal a consolidating five-wicket victory over Bangladesh by five wickets in the first ODI on Friday.

Set to chase a massive 304, Zimbabwe comfortably steered to victory in the 49th over with five wickets to spare, thanks to the brilliant centuries from Raza and Kaia.

The hosts were off to a dismal start to their run chase as they lost both their openers Regis Chakabva and Tarisai Musakanda cheaply for a combined score of six in the second over.

Right-handed middle-order batter Wessly Madhevere, who put on an important 56-run partnership for the third wicket with Kaia, walked back to the pavilion in the 14th over. He scored 19 off 27 deliveries with the help of two boundaries.

Kaia then joined hands with newly-arrived Raza and anchored the run chase with an astounding 192-run partnership.

Veteran right-handed batter Raza remained the major contributor in the match-defining partnership as he scored at a decent pace to bring up his fifth century.

Kaia, on the other hand, remained a little cautious in the proceedings before falling prey to Mosaddek Hossain in the 42nd over. The right-handed batter scored 110 off 122 deliveries, laced with 11 boundaries and two sixes.

Following his departure, Raza then put on a brief partnership with Luke Jongwe, who scored a quick 24 off 19 balls, to make sure to drive his side over the finishing line. The right-handed batter top-scored with an unbeaten 135 off 109 deliveries including eight boundaries and six sixes.

For Bangladesh, Hossain, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Shoriful Islam, and Mustafizur Rahman struck out a batter apiece.

Batting first, Bangladesh batting line-up also displayed a combined effort with four of their top-order batters scoring half-centuries and setting a decent 303/2 on the board in the allotted 50 overs.

The touring openers, however, remained a touch slow in the proceedings, which, in the end, resulted in halting Bangladesh to put on a massive target despite the quick half-centuries from Anamul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim.

Left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal scored 62 off 88 deliveries, while his partner Litton Das top-scored for the side with an 89-ball 81 before being retired hurt.

Right-handed batter Haque remained the second top-scorer for the side as he scored 73 off 62 deliveries, laced with six boundaries and three sixes, while Rahim remained unbeaten with 52 off 49 deliveries.

For Zimbabwe, Victor Nyauchi and Raza could make one scalp each.

READ: Inayat downs Connelly to claim second Bronze for Pakistan in CWG 2022 

HARARE: The Pakistan-born Zimbabwean cricketer Sikandar Raza commented on James Faulkner’s early exit from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7, said the controversy will not affect Australia’s tour to Pakistan.

Taking to his Twitter, Sikandar shared his opinion on Faulkner’s incident which rubbished the latter’s claims about payment issues and also claimed that his false allegations will not affect Australia’s historic tour to Pakistan.

“Payment was never an issue and no Overseas player has ever complained. Anyone suggesting that this will jeopardize Aus tour are delusional,” he stated.

1. Payment was never an issue @thePSLt20 and no Overseas player has ever complained.
2. Hosting PSL in 🇵🇰 over the last couple of years have proved that it’s safe and @TheRealPCB is hosting it successfully
3. Anyone suggesting that this will jeopardize Aus tour are delusional

— Sikandar Raza (@SRazaB24) February 20, 2022

In his three-point tweet, Sikandar further stated that the successful hosting of the PSL in Pakistan over a couple of years has proved that Pakistan is a safe country.

“Hosting PSL in [Pakistan] over the last couple of years have proved that it’s safe and [The PCB] is hosting it successfully,” he concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already refuted Faulkner’s false claims and has also banned him from future PSL events.