By Priscilla Rotich

Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza has proven himself to be one of Zimbabwe’s finest talents. Making his debut in 2013, Raza showcased his talents in 17 Tests, 142 ODIs and 91 T20Is, leaving a lasting impression with his outstanding performances.

Besides international cricket, Raza has also been active in domestic tournaments, most notably the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The 38-year-old, who hails from Sialkot, Pakistan, was recently asked about his thoughts on the possibility of playing for his country of birth.

When a fan asked Raza if he would consider representing Pakistan on X (formerly Twitter), Raza reiterated his commitment to Zimbabwe Cricket, expressed his gratitude for the support and opportunities Zimbabwe has given him and said that he will “repay that trust” in the way the board has shown him.

“I will only and always represent Zimbabwe. (Zimbabwe) has invested time and money in me and I am just trying to repay their faith and no matter what I achieve, I will never even come close to repaying that. Zim is mine and I am all theirs,” Raza said.

When asked about his favourite batsman and bowler, Raza listed a few, including Indian quick Jasprit Bumrah, Pakistani star Shaheen Afridi and former West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine.

Raza, who was recently appointed as Zimbabwe’s captain for the five-match T20I series against India, led his team admirably even though they lost the series 4-1.

Looking at his overall statistics, Raza has scored 1187 runs and taken 34 wickets in 17 Test matches in his career, while scoring 4154 runs in ODIs and 2037 runs in T20Is.

Beyond these international efforts, Raza has also made significant contributions in the IPL, appearing in nine matches for the Punjab Kings, scoring 182 runs and taking three wickets.