Australia's David Warner is one of the most devastating batters in cricket and his focus now is solely on piling up the runs at the picturesque Harare Sports Club. But whatever the outcome, Sikandar Raza is hoping one of the players from Zimbabwe's cricketing family can outshine the international stars in the second edition of the Zim Afro T10. Raza, who hopes the second season will match the high quality of cricket seen in the first edition, said: “We have brought in a lot more international cricketers, with players like David Warner, one of the key signings of the season this year. What T10 has done this year with the signings across all six franchises, it is definitely going to be a very exciting tournament.”
“But more importantly I hope, pray and wish that a Zimbabwean scores the most runs, takes the most catches and takes the most wickets because the growth of Zimbabwean cricket in this tournament is crucial and I am looking forward to that,” the Zimbabwe captain said.
While Warner, along with Dawid Malan, James Neesham, Colin Munro and others, are among the big signings, pacer Blessing Muzarabani is the only Zimbabwean to be chosen as a Global Icon for the NYS Lagos. And his national team captain is delighted.
“Definitely, I'm really happy about that, Blessing has done really well over the past year and he's suddenly earned the right to be a Global Icon as well. As long as there's Zimbabwean representation, I'm happy, no matter who it is. So I'm really happy and proud of Blessing.”
Raza, who was one of the standout performers in the inaugural edition of the fast-paced and highly exciting Zim Afro T10, said: “I know I am in a different team than last season but the mentality is the same. Winning the trophy and if I can contribute to winning the trophy, that is the best. Cricket is a team game but full of individual brilliance and if I can contribute to the success of the team, that will go a long way.”
Raza, who hit the ball cleanly during practice and sent it deep into the stands with relative ease, also had a message for the younger Zimbabwean players. “Enjoy as much as you can, and learn and grow as much as you can. Try to spend as much time as possible with the foreign players who are here because they are only here for 9-10 days. Try to learn as much as you can and you will see that what you learn you can take with you in your personal growth and that will help you become a better cricketer.”
Raza, one of the most travelled players on the international circuit at the moment, believes that the future of the T10 format is bright. Pat had the answer when he said, “T10 is a format that can definitely take cricket to the Olympics.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a press release)
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