Sports Correspondent
Zimbabwe cricket star Sikandar Raza has ruled out reversing his retirement plans, insisting that even Zimbabwe’s potential inclusion in the ICC World Test Championship will not persuade him to extend his international career beyond the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
The 40-year-old all-rounder wants to bring the curtain down on his international career after next year’s tournament, which Zimbabwe will co-host with South Africa and Namibia, giving him the opportunity to bow out on home soil in front of local supporters.
Raza described the prospect of playing a World Cup at home before retiring as a personal blessing, saying it would fulfil one of cricket’s greatest ambitions: ending a career on the sport’s biggest stage.
Speaking during a media interaction hosted by mobile gaming platform SIXR Cricket, Raza made it clear that his decision to retire was final.
“Would I be tempted? No, I will not be tempted. I have come to peace with the decisions that I am making in life,” he said.
“I’ll not be a guy who will, when the time comes, call it off and then say, ‘I’m taking my retirement back.’ It will not happen. That’s not me.”
Despite ruling out a return to international cricket after the 2027 World Cup, Raza strongly supports Zimbabwe’s potential inclusion in the World Test Championship for the 2027-30 cycle.
He believes regular competition against the world’s leading Test-playing nations would accelerate Zimbabwe’s development, improving performances across all three international formats.
“If Zimbabwe is part of WTC, we might not be able to do well at the start, but one thing I do know — our cricketing growth will go up quickly. Our performances will get better, and not just in Test cricket,” he said.
Raza also credited Test cricket with playing a significant role in shaping his career, despite his relatively limited appearances in the longest format.
He said much of his development as a cricketer came during his early years playing Test cricket, adding that the experience had helped shape the player he became.
Raza has expressed particular excitement about the prospect of playing at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls, which is expected to host World Cup matches.
Zimbabwe’s match against India is scheduled for October 24, 2027, at the new venue.
