ZIMBABWE captain Sikandar Raza has backed the his team’s development process over results as the Chevrons sneaked into today’s T20I Tri-series at the expense of hosts Namibia.
The Chevrons needed a favour from South Africa to beat the Eagles in their final match in order to progress to the final and a tense 11-run win by the Proteas sealed the re-match this afternoon at Namibia Cricket Ground.
Raza, however said Zimbabwe are only “five or six out of 10” right now, but expects the Chevrons to be “nine and a half or 10 out of 10” by the 2028 T20 World Cup.
Speaking after Zimbabwe’s five-wicket win over Namibia in Windhoek that kept their Tri-Series final hopes alive, the captain stressed improvement over results as his side goes through a transition.
Here are the key excerpts from his post-match presser:
Q: How important was this win with the final still not confirmed?
A: “I do not want to think about the final. Yes, we have given ourselves the best chance to play in the final, but still there is a very important game that is still left. And knowing Namibia, they are 2-0 up on South Africa, so you never know. Cricket is, especially in T20, the gulf between the teams is not as much these days.”
Q: What pleased you most about the performance?
A: “I am happy about today’s result, happy about how we went about our business. But most importantly, I am happy that there were a few areas that I highlighted and I saw a lot of improvement in. I always believe process over results matters. Especially as we are going through a few changes – how we want to bat, how we want to bowl, how we want to go about business. It will take some time, but overall happy with how we went about business today.”
Q: Kundai Matigimu (debutant seamer) had a strong second game. Your thoughts on backing youngsters?
A: “With Matigimu, listen, it was his first game. And playing against South Africa, it is always a tough ask for someone to make his debut. Cricket is such a sport that you have to give your boys time when they make their debuts.
If we do not give Matigimu the support, if we do not give him the opportunity that he deserves, then we will never know how well he is going to do. I was very happy with how he went about his business – the breakthroughs, the discipline. If you look at his first game to second game, it tells you there has been big improvement. That tells you about a person, his character, his skill. We keep giving Matigimu more confidence.”
Q: The middle overs have been a concern. Did you see improvement today?
A: “Our gulf in difference between how well we go about in our powerplay and how poorly we have done in the middle certainly is an area that we highlighted. If you look at our middle today, I thought we were very measured, very calculated. I know it was 155 we were chasing, but even if it was 170, the same process, the same approach would have still won us the game, in my opinion.”
Q: There’s been talk about dot balls. Is it still a concern on this ground?
A: “This is a big boundary-hitting ground. At Sports Club, you cannot afford to have 45, 47 dots. Here, if you have 40 dots, the sixes and fours will be higher because it’s a smallish ground and there’s one end that’s with the wind. If we have 40 dot balls, then I expect us to hit 15 to 18 boundaries as well. On slow wickets and variable bounce, if you have a few dots, just stay calm because the boundaries will catch up.”
Q: Where do you see this Zimbabwe team right now?
A: “I think we are five or six out of 10 at the moment, but there is still time. I feel like playing more games will help us to upskill ourselves. And by the time the World Cup arrives, I expect us to be nine and a half or 10 out of 10, well prepared to go to the World Cup because at the World Cup, you have to play your absolute best cricket.”
Q: You promoted yourself ahead of Wessly Madhevere today. What was the thinking?
A: “I went in because I felt at that time we needed a little bit of experience out there to chase the game down and to make sure Inno (Kaia) remains calm. There is someone that Inno can talk to, someone who can control the game a bit better. We want Wessly to play with flair and freedom. At that particular time, I felt it was time for experience to intervene with the youth because Inno is only playing his second game after his comeback.”
Q: You’ve been compared to Imran Khan’s captaincy. Reaction?
A: “First of all, I do not see myself in the same bracket as one of the legends of the game. I am nowhere close to who he is, who he was as a captain. I always learn from other leaders. But one thing I can tell you is that I am nowhere close to the legendary Imran Khan.”
