Sikandar Raza shuts door on retirement U-turn despite Zimbabwe's WTC hopes
Zimbabwe’s ODI and T20I captain Sikandar Raza has insisted that the country’s potential entry into the World Test Championship (WTC) for the 2027-30 cycle will not change his decision to retire after next year’s ODI World Cup in Africa.
Zimbabwe will co-host the ICC event with South Africa and Namibia, allowing the 40-year-old all-rounder to end his international career at a home World Cup.
“The fact that I am coming to the end of my career as well, and to have an opportunity to play a home World Cup is certainly a blessing for me from a personal point of view,” Raza said during a media interaction hosted by mobile gaming platform Sixer Cricket.
“Every cricketer dreams of having retired or to retire after playing a cricketing World Cup,” he added.
Asked whether Zimbabwe’s potential inclusion in the WTC would tempt him to reconsider his retirement plans, Raza ruled out a change of heart.
“Would I be tempted? No, I will not be tempted. I have come to peace with the decisions that I am making in life.
“I’ll not be a guy who will, when the time comes, call it off and then say, ‘I’m taking my retirement back.’ It will not happen. That’s not me,” he said.
‘WTC WILL HELP ZIMBABWE’S GROWTH’
Despite his plans to retire, Raza believes joining the WTC could significantly accelerate Zimbabwe’s development as a cricketing nation.
“If that happens, I will be the first guy who will be in support of that. If Zimbabwe is part of WTC, we might not be able to do well at the start, but one thing I do knowour cricketing growth eventually – not eventually, quickly – will go up. Our performances will get better, and not just in Test cricket,” he said.
The all-rounder also credited the longest format with playing a significant role in his development, despite having featured in a relatively small number of Tests.
“A lot of my cricketing development the world has seen has come through Test cricket. I played, I think, eight to nine Test matches earlier on. I know I’ve only got 15 or 16 Test matches in total.
“But in the early years of my career I played a lot of Test cricket as well, and my cricketing development has happened through Test cricket,” he said.
Raza acknowledged that Zimbabwe and its co-hosts could struggle to secure a home advantage at the 2027 ODI World Cup, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) overseeing tournament operations.
“We’ll try our best to gain some home advantage, but for ICC events, it’s very difficult because the ICC is in control of everything.
“But yeah, we will try and take some advantage where we can. Fair advantage, that is,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s fixture against India on October 24, 2027, will also mark the first World Cup match at the newly built Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls.
Raza expressed excitement about the venue’s upcoming launch and the prospect of hosting international cricket there.
“We are really excited that our new stadium will be launched in the next few months. I do think we have fixtures there early next year as well. So, we are really looking forward to it,” he said.
He also highlighted the attractions Victoria Falls could offer visiting players and supporters beyond cricket.
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