Sikandar Raza did not hold back his disappointment following Zimbabwe’s 19-run defeat to Afghanistan in Sharjah, which meant a series loss in the T20I format.
Raza, who scored an impressive unbeaten 106 off 56 deliveries, highlighted the team’s “complacency” after reducing Afghanistan to 5 for 4 in the fourth over. “I will address that in the changing room,” he assured, with a hint of frustration. “I won’t be saying it the way I said it to you,” he remarked, his tone betraying a smile that wasn’t really present.
Raza elaborated on the match, saying, “The toughest part to swallow was the complacency that I observed from some of the boys,” pointing out this lapse after Azmatullah Omarzai’s quick 116 in 50 balls led Afghanistan to victory.
“When you’re 5 for 4, some were probably calculating a target of 130, 140 max. What I saw today on the field was hurtful. It can happen, but we need to be mentally strong and remind ourselves, the game isn’t over until it’s over – we’ve still got a job to do.”
Discussing the mid-point of the game, Raza reflected, “At 45 for 5, we were in control. But Omarzai and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai (52 from 27) lifted Afghanistan to 221 for 7. We fought back, but especially me.”
“When chasing 222, I aimed to manage emotions because our first-innings approach was painful,” he added. “As we went out to bat, winning from any position was our aim. In my head, I was figuring out the best approach and hoping others would support so we could win.” Yet, by the final two overs, Zimbabwe needed an improbable 46 from 12 balls, leaving Raza to conclude, “We left ourselves too much.”
