Sikandar Raza, after putting on a match-winning performance against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup yesterday, revealed that when he was on his way to Australia, he had a chat with the Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine.
Raza said he told Ervine if he wins a man of the match award in the World Cup, Ervine would buy him a watch of his choice and he had promised to do the same for Ervine if Ervine wins a man of the match award in the tournament.
When Raza came to collect his man of the match award after the win against Pakistan, he told the interviewer with a big laugh that when he was coming to collect the award, he let his captain know that he owes him three watches now, as he has won three men of the match awards from the qualifiers to the super 12 round.
When Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to bat first against Pakistan yesterday, they would have big expectations from Raza with the bat because he has been their main batsman in all formats in the last year or so.
Sikandar Raza won the game for Zimbabwe with the ball
Raza couldn’t quite live up to the expectations yesterday with the bat, but he made up for it with the ball as his spell of 3 for 24 in his 4 overs, on a surface that was not assisting the spinners, turned out to be crucial for Zimbabwe.
I said to my captain (Ervine), If you become Man of the Match, pick any watch from the catalogue and I'll buy you that. But if I win Man of the Match (award), you're going to buy me one : Sikandar Raza#T20WC2022
Advertisement— Shubham (@Shubhambs25) October 27, 2022
Pakistan, at one point in time, needed just 43 runs off 39 balls with 7 wickets in hand, but Raza completely pushed Pakistan on the backfoot with three quick wickets from there within two overs. While Shadab Khan was holed out at long off trying to play a chipped drive, Haider Ali was dismissed for a golden duck on a quicker delivery.
In the next over, Sikandar Raza delivered another blow on Pakistan as he got Shan Masood stumped on an arms delivery which was collected wonderfully down the leg side by the Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva.
