Bangladesh loves me a lot: Raza

The Bangladesh national team is set to begin a five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe tomorrow. Ahead of that, Zimbabwean captain Sikandar Raza attended a press conference today. Given the comparative strength of the teams, Raza naturally held the hosts, Bangladesh, in high esteem. He echoed the sentiments of Shanto regarding the outcome of the series, believing it will be beneficial for both teams.

Sikandar Raza has a unique relationship with Bangladesh cricket. Outside of national team duties, he regularly visited Bangladesh to play in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, where he is a well-known figure. Raza expressed his deep feelings and memories about Bangladesh, saying:

"I come to Bangladesh often. I don’t know what the future holds. Even if this is my last visit, I want my wife, daughter, and son to experience the love and hospitality of Bangladesh. My first franchise cricket was here in the Dhaka Premier League. The second was also in Bangladesh, in the BPL. My debut was against Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a very good friend of Zimbabwe. We are regularly invited here. Whether I play against Bangladesh or for a domestic team here, I am immensely grateful. I have played in the BPL three times and the DPL three times. I don’t know if I will come to Bangladesh again. Even if I retire, I want my family to experience the love and hospitality of the people of Bangladesh. Bangladesh loves me a lot."

Playing at home, Bangladesh is a formidable opponent for any team. Sikandar Raza also refrained from making predictions about the upcoming series:

"I will not predict what I cannot do in the future. However, I pray and hope that the series will not be easy. We have come here with the right mindset and very good preparation. We have come to Bangladesh to win. If I answer your question by saying we will win by 3-0, 4-0, or 5-0, it would be disrespectful to Bangladesh. If I say Bangladesh will win, it would disrespect my team. I think it will be a fiercely competitive series. Bangladesh has the World Cup ahead, and there are a lot of trials and tests to undergo. InshaAllah, it will be a good series for both teams."