Raza calls on senior players to take on Afghan spinners
ZIMBABWE captain Sikandar Raza has called on his senior players to take more responsibility against Afghanistan’s spinners ahead of this afternoon’s first T20I at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium.
The match starts at 4.30pm Zimbabwe time. It is the first of three T20Is, coming days after Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe twice in the UAE ODI Tri-Series, including Friday’s final.
Afghanistan’s spinners did most of the damage in both ODIs. Rashid Khan took seven Zimbabwe wickets across the two matches. Raza said the senior batters needed to do more than just survive against the spin attack.
“I think the seniors will have to take a bit more responsibility, not just to see them off but to score against those Afghan spinners, and also try and occupy the crease for a bit longer,” Raza said at the pre-match press conference.
“I think we expect that from the seniors, so I’m expecting a better game from the seniors tomorrow.”
Raza said the squad had settled into the conditions after almost 10 days in the UAE.
“The conditions that we struggled with, we should not be struggling as much now. We’ve acclimatised now. So I truly believe that our guys will raise the bar and will perform better,” he said.
He believes the two ODI defeats will help in the shorter format.
“You find out a lot of good things about the opposition — batting and bowling — in a longer format of the game. So the preparation is to use the ODI knowledge that we have gained over the last week and a half and then try and use that knowledge of the wicket, of the opposition, of the weather, and try and use it to our advantage,” added Raza.
Raza expects a high-scoring match.
“What I looked at, the wicket, I think it should be a high-scoring game. Compared to the average scores at Sharjah, it should be slightly more than the average score, yes,” he said.
Asked whether the captaincy was affecting his own performance, Raza said it was not.
“I think it’s for other people to judge. I don’t see it that way. I try and keep my emotions within myself,” he said.
“I don’t think the pressure of captaincy is stopping me from making correct decisions.”
Raza was Zimbabwe’s top scorer in both ODIs against Afghanistan, with 48 in Abu Dhabi and 68 in the final.
Zimbabwe’s T20I squad includes opening batter Innocent Kaia, who has recovered from a thigh injury, and fast bowler Kundai Matigimu. Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine and Ernest Masuku are not in the T20I squad.
Afghanistan won the last T20I series between the sides 3-0, in Zimbabwe in October 2025. The second and third matches are in Sharjah on Thursday and Sunday, and two Tests follow in November.
