In a whirlwind of travel and cricket, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza found himself racing from Trent Bridge to Lahore within a mere 24-hour period. Fresh from the Test against England, where his innings of 60 off 68 balls couldn’t stave off defeat, Raza was quickly onto a plane, heading to join Lahore Qalandars for the PSL final against Quetta Gladiators.
Upon landing just ten minutes before the toss in Lahore, Raza’s presence on the team sheet was uncertain until the last moment. His team had prepared two line-ups. One featured Raza and the other, in case of his absence, included Shakib al Hasan. The desire to have Raza in the playing XI was indisputable.
Raza’s season has been characterised by remarkable travel swings between Pakistan and elsewhere. Initially a key player for the Qalandars, Raza had to step away when the league was paused. The PSL resumed shortly before Zimbabwe’s Test series began, prompting another dash to Pakistan for a crucial knockout match against Peshawar Zalmi. His efforts helped Lahore secure qualification, after which he promptly returned to the UK for national duties. With Zimbabwe succumbing to an innings defeat against England, Raza again took to the skies to support his PSL squad.
Come the PSL final, even with Gladiators winning the toss and opting to bat, Raza’s eleventh-hour inclusion meant that seasoned allrounder Shakib al Hasan missed out. Such was the determination to have Raza bolster the team as they contested for the coveted trophy.
Danyal Rasool, ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent, provides on-ground insights, tweeting updates as events unfold.
