Sikandar Raza calls home World Cup a 'blessing' as Zimbabwe plot 2027 showcase
Raza savours farewell on home soil
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza has described the chance to play a home World Cup before the end of his international career as a "blessing," framing the 2027 tournament as both a personal milestone and a showcase for African cricket.
"Every cricketer dreams of having retired or to retire before he can play a World Cup. The fact that I am coming to the end of my career as well, so to have an opportunity to play a home World Cup at home is certainly a blessing for me from a personal point of view," Raza said during the launch of the mobile game SIXR on Tuesday.
"From a collective point of view, I do think the world really needs to see what Africa has to offer, the beauty, the crowd and the vibe and everything that we have to offer in Zimbabwe, especially. The world deserves to see it. For people who will find time to travel to Zimbabwe to watch the World Cup, it will be an unforgettable experience," he added.
Backing the Super Seven format
The 40-year-old allrounder threw his weight behind the tournament's new structure, arguing that the teams playing the best cricket deserve a bigger slice of the global stage.
"I quite like the Super Seven idea. I think the teams that play well deserve to have more games at the World Cup," Raza said. He also credited Zimbabwe Cricket for padding the national side's schedule beyond the official Future Tours Programme. "When it comes to Zimbabwe and the fixtures, if you look at our FTP, our board has done really well to find fixtures from here and there outside our FTP program as well. Zimbabwe Cricket has gone up and beyond for their players to play more games to be ready for whichever fixture."
Zimbabwe are grouped in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, Australia and Afghanistan, with the final berth to be settled through a qualifying tournament.
Home advantage 'hard' under ICC control
Despite hosting matches, Raza does not expect Zimbabwe to bank a meaningful home edge, noting that ICC-appointed curators control conditions at global events. "We will try our best to gain some home advantage, but for ICC events it's very difficult because the curators like ICC are basically in control of everything. But yes, we will try and take some advantage where we can, fair advantage that is."
Zimbabwe's fixtures are spread across Harare, Bulawayo and a new venue in Victoria Falls, where they are due to face India on October 24.
Victoria Falls and the wider experience
Raza said the Victoria Falls ground — expected to be inaugurated in the coming months — would let visiting teams and fans see beyond the boundary rope.
"We are really excited that our new stadium will be launched in the next few months and I do think we have fixtures there early next year as well, so we're really looking forward," he said. "What we expect from Victoria Falls, as much as cricket is important, but I think outside cricket, beautiful sightings, a peaceful sleep because you can hear the falls, a lovely sunset and some great human beings and a hospitable environment for everyone."
WTC would 'quickly' lift Zimbabwe, but no comeback
Raza also believes Zimbabwe's inclusion in the next World Test Championship cycle could turbocharge the country's development — a decision expected to be discussed at the ICC's November meeting. Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland have not featured in the first three cycles, with the current one wrapping up in mid-2027.
"If Zimbabwe is part of WTC we might not be able to do well at the start, but one thing I do know, if we are part of that, our cricketing growth will go up. Our performances will get better in all formats," Raza said, pointing to his own Test-shaped development. "A lot of my cricketing development that the world has seen has come through Test cricket... if you can somehow play a decent test cricket or become a decent test cricketer, the other formats become slightly easier to play in. So I'll be the first guy to raise my hand."
But he drew a firm line on his own future, ruling out a U-turn on retirement even if Zimbabwe reached the WTC. "Would I be tempted? No, I will not be tempted. I have come to peace with the decisions that I am making in life. I will not be a guy who will when the time comes will call it off and then says I'm taking my retirement back. It will not happen, that's not me."