We Are Stronger Than Before: Sikandar Raza

Ahead of the one-off Test against Bangladesh that is scheduled to begin tomorrow, Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza yesterday said that they are stronger than before as a Test team.

Before tomorrow’s Test, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe locked horns in 16 Tests. Bangladesh won six and Zimbabwe won seven while the other three matches ended in a draw.

“We really played good cricket in the last series against Sri Lanka at home. We lost the first Test, but that was too close to end in a draw. I think we have improved a lot as a unit. We are stronger than before,” Raza told the media at BCB Academy ground.

Zimbabwe faced the Tigers in a Test series for the last time in 2018, when they beat the hosts by a big margin of 151 runs in Sylhet. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam returned with 11 wickets in that game but he couldn’t save the Tigers from a humiliating defeat. However, in the other test of the series, Zimbabwe lost by 218 runs against the Tigers, riding on a double ton by Mushfiqur Rahim.

“Spinners always do well against us. We have been learning from our regular tour to Bangladesh. Spinners have been ruling us over the years and at the same time, we have started doing well against the spinners as well.”, he said.

“We have proved our ability to win against Bangladesh in the last game (Test) in Sylhet” Raza added.

Since getting the Test cap back in 2013, Raza played 14 Tests for Zimbabwe and scored 982 runs with one century and seven half-centuries in addition to bagging 31 wickets.

After the one-off Test, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are going face each other again in a three-match ODI and a two-match T20I series.

The ODI series will take place in Sylhet on March 1, 3 and 6 while the T20I series will be played in Dhaka on March 9 and 11.

Source: UNB