Sikandar Raza calls home World Cup a blessing before retirement

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza has described the opportunity to play a home World Cup before retiring from international cricket as a “blessing”.

"Every cricketer hopes to have retired or to retire before playing in a World Cup. Having the opportunity to play a home World Cup at home is certainly a blessing for me from a personal perspective, given that I am also nearing the end of my career,” Raza stated on Tuesday during the launch of the mobile game SIXR.

“From a global perspective, I do believe that the world really needs to see what Africa has to offer—especially Zimbabwe's beauty, crowd, and atmosphere. It is due to the world to see it. It will be an unforgettable experience for those who will travel to Zimbabwe to watch the World Cup,” he added.

The all-rounder, who is 40 years old, also supported the new World Cup format, arguing that teams that perform well should be given more chances to play in a global event.

Zimbabwe is in Group A with India, Pakistan, Australia, and Afghanistan. Prior to the World Cup, a qualifying tournament will determine who will win the championship.

“I quite like the Super Seven idea. I believe that the winning teams ought to play more games at the World Cup. Regarding Zimbabwe's fixtures, our FTP reveals that our board has done exceptionally well in locating fixtures from outside our FTP program as well. Zimbabwe Cricket has gone up and beyond for their players to play more games to be ready for whichever fixture,” he said.

Raza doesn't think Zimbabwe will have a significant home advantage even though they play their matches there. This is because ICC events only give teams a small amount of control over the playing conditions. Zimbabwe will perform in Harare, Bulawayo, and a brand-new venue in Victoria Falls.

“We will try to gain some home advantage, but it's very difficult for ICC events because the curators, like ICC, basically control everything. We will try our best to gain some home advantage. But yes, we will try and take some advantage where we can, fair advantage that is,” said Raza.

Zimbabwe are also looking forward to hosting matches at the Victoria Falls venue, which is expected to be inaugurated in the coming months. Raza said the venue would offer visiting teams and fans an opportunity to experience the region beyond cricket. On October 24, Zimbabwe is scheduled to face India there.

He stated, "We are really looking forward to the launch of our new stadium in the next few months and I do believe we have fixtures there early next year as well."

“What we expect from Victoria Falls, as much as cricket is important, but I think outside cricket, beautiful sightings, a peaceful sleep because you can hear the falls, a lovely sunset and some great human beings and a hospitable environment for everyone,” he added.

Raza is also of the opinion that Zimbabwe's participation in the World Test Championship (WTC) may accelerate the country's progress as a cricketer. Zimbabwe's potential entry into the next WTC cycle is expected to be discussed at the ICC's November meeting. The first three cycles did not include Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, or Ireland, and the current one is scheduled to end in the middle of 2027.

“Firstly, I think if that happens(Zimbabwe part of next ICC cycle) I will be the first guy who will be in support of that. We might not do well at first if Zimbabwe joins the WTC, but one thing I do know is that our cricketing growth will increase if we join. Our performances will get better in all formats,” he said.

“The reason I say that is a lot of my cricketing development that the world has seen has come through Test cricket. In the early years of my career, I also played a lot of Test cricket. Test cricket has helped me develop as a cricketer. If Zimbabwe joins the World Twenty20 Championship, it's possible that we won't start off well. However, one thing I do know is that if we join, our cricketing growth will eventually, if not immediately, increase, and our performances will improve.

“Not only in Test cricket, but also in one-day and Twenty20 cricket, I believe our performances will improve. I believe that if you can play or become a decent test cricketer, the other formats become slightly easier to play in. So I'll be the first guy to raise my hand,” he added.

However, Raza ruled out reversing his retirement plans to feature in the WTC should Zimbabwe gain entry into the competition.

I would be tempted, would I? No, I will not be tempted. I have come to peace with the decisions that I am making in life. I will not be a guy who will when the time comes will call it off and then says I'm taking my retirement back. That's not me, it won't happen,” he stated.