Raza class is permanent as Zimbabwe press India 2023 case

At what point does a player turn from one just in a purple patch, to one who proves that their class is permanent?

Once again standing up for his country, all-rounder Raza continues to help Zimbabwe on the path to another global tournament, continuing to exhibit the class that saw his name back in lights, back on trophies, and back on franchise squad lists.

Bludgeoning with the bat, crafty with the ball, and a livewire in the field – Raza is both a result and an embodiment of Zimbabwe’s renaissance – a side now on the verge of squeezing into the Cricket World Cup later in the year.

There’s a lot to like about Zimbabwe at the moment. Fuelled by the disappointment of missing out on the 2019 tournament, the side were also unable to battle for a T20 World Cup 2021 spot during their suspension from the ICC. Other teams and governing bodies of the game’s past have tumbled as a result of similar tumult. The Chevrons stood tall in spite of their position in the cold abyss.

Dave Houghton as coach has rejuvenated the side. The team’s batting is packed with quality, and the pace attack continues to threaten the game’s best, shown in Super League wins over the likes of Pakistan and Australia. Raza, adding his spin variations alongside his batting, completes the side.

And then there is the crowd bouncing with something to sing for again, to the point where Raza called them the “11th man” of the side.

“I think they made it onto the park with us in their spirits to field with us, they lifted us,” he added after their spellbinding win over the West Indies.

One of the shining lights at the T20 World Cup last year in Australia, Zimbabwe are now exhibiting the same qualities in the other white-ball format, though in a team of 11 performers, and a crowd on hand, Raza somehow still stands out.

In the last year, Raza has claimed 11 Player of the Match trophies on duty for Zimbabwe across the two white-ball formats.

All but one were in matches either at global events, in Qualifier outings, or Super League ODIs. He claimed three Player of the Match awards at the T20 World Cup, of which one came at the hands of Pakistan, the nation of his birth.

“He just seems to know exactly what to do, when to do it,” Ricky Ponting, one of the game’s sharpest minds, observed during the T20 World Cup last year.

“Talking about World Cups, players’ names and reputations are forged on how you perform in big games.

“He’s standing up in pressure moments.

Ponting’s comments came before Raza’s efforts against Pakistan, where he claimed 3/25 from four overs, and secured the famous win on the last ball of the game, running out Shaheen Afridi to prevent a run to tie the game up.

Raza on reflection after the win was fuelled by the comments.

“For me, I had goosebumps – one of the greats of the game talking about Zimbabwe and in particular me.

“Not that I need an extra kick, but if I needed one that clip did the job for me. I wanted to stay calm but also pumped up for this game.”

The transfer of form to the longer white-ball format only reinforces Raza’s qualities. Carrying on from his strong Super League run last year, including a 95-ball 115 against India to register three tons in six ODI innings, the all-rounder has been ever-present.

Since the start of last year, Raza has made 971 runs at 51.10 in the ODI game, striking at 98.37, with three fifties and a fourth century to boot. With ball in hand he has contributed 22 wickets in 23 bowling efforts, at an economy of 5.13 and an average of 37.36.

His performance too has also been reflected in the latest MRF Tyres ODI Player Rankings. In the batting rankings, Raza moved into the top 30, opening the campaign with 102* against Netherlands, backing it up with 68 from the West Indies and 48 against the USA.

The ton against the Dutch was the fastest by a Zimbabwean in ODI’s (54 balls) and his eight wickets at the tournament puts him in the top six of both the runs and wickets tallies at the tournament – the only player who can boast the feat.

Unsurprisingly, Raza now stands as the third-ranked ODI all-rounder behind Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Nabi.

Before 2022, Raza had a batting average across 108 ODIs of just 34.60, a number he has taken to 37.56 with the weight of recent runs.

Raza saw an even more dramatic jump in T20Is, moving his average from 13.43 to 20.98, and bringing his bowling average down from 43.92 to 26.65.

The 37-year-old clearly leads with his actions, though as coach Houghton explains, it is his words that complement the class he brings to the team.

“The players look up to Raz,” Houghton said.

“Not just on the field in terms of what he can do with both bat and ball, but he speaks wise words to the lads, particularly to the youngsters, and they listen.

“He’s had an outstanding year. And it’s culminated in him playing franchise cricket around the world.”

The first Zimbabwe player to take an IPL wicket, and the first Zimbabwe player to claim a Player of the Match trophy at the tournament, the all-rounder is pushing the country’s game forward.

He instils belief for the likes of Wessly Madhevere, one of the players coming through the Zimbabwe system as a talented 22-year-old, who verifies Houghton’s comments.

“The guy is a genius,” Madhevere said.

“The things he has done for Zimbabwe cricket over the years, it will take something special to replace it.

Topping their group at the Qualifier, the Chevrons take maximum carry-over points to the Super Six stage, and are in the box seat to qualify for the showcase event in India. They face Oman, Sri Lanka and Scotland, where providing their net run rate remains strong, two victories should be enough.

A Player of the Tournament accolade could come Raza’s way in the same way it did for T20 World Cup Qualifier B this time last year, though it pales in significance to the ultimate goal of qualifying for a Cricket World Cup, eight years since their last appearance.

With such loyalty from the crowd, securing a spot for India 2023 is the bare minimum.

“The least I can do for this country is to represent them with everything I have and with all those emotions and the fight within me and the fire in my belly for Zimbabwe, all those emotions is what you call passion,” Raza said.

“There’s nothing in my priority list apart from that. It is just one thing, and that is to make sure, Inshallah, we qualify for the World Cup in India.”