Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, 40, confirmed Saturday that he will retire after the 2027 Cricket World Cup in Africa and will not reconsider the decision even if Zimbabwe gains entry to the World Test Championship.
Raza said during a media interaction hosted by mobile gaming platform SIXR Cricket that playing a home World Cup represented a rare opportunity at this stage of his career. "Every cricketer dreams of having retired or to retire after playing a cricketing World Cup," he said. "The fact that I am coming to the end of my career as well, so to have an opportunity to play a home World Cup is certainly a blessing for me from a personal point of view."
A final decision he will not reverse
When asked whether Zimbabwe's potential entry into the World Test Championship for the 2027-30 cycle might tempt him to extend his career, Raza said he would not be tempted and had made peace with his decision. He said he would not reverse his retirement once it was announced, according to Rediff.
Zimbabwe's potential entry into the next WTC cycle is expected to be discussed at the ICC's November meeting, according to Cricbuzz. Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland have not featured in the first three World Test Championship cycles, with the current one set to conclude in mid-2027.
Why the World Test Championship matters for Zimbabwe
Despite ruling out a change to his retirement plans, Raza expressed strong support for Zimbabwe joining the WTC. He said the championship would accelerate the country's cricketing development across all formats, not just Test cricket, according to Rediff.
Raza attributed much of his own development as a cricketer to Test cricket, despite having played only 22 Tests in his career. He said he played eight to nine Tests early in his career and 15 or 16 overall. "But in the early years of my career I played a lot of Test cricket as well, and my cricketing development has happened through Test cricket," he told Rediff.
Zimbabwe's World Cup preparations and group stage draw
The 2027 Cricket World Cup begins on October 2, 2027, and will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia. It will mark Africa's return as a Cricket World Cup host after 24 years, according to The Express Tribune.
Zimbabwe are in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, Australia and Afghanistan, with the final spot to be decided through a qualifying tournament. Zimbabwe's opening match is scheduled for October 9 against the qualifying side, and they are scheduled to face India on October 24 at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls, according to Cricbuzz.
Zimbabwe will play league matches across Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe Cricket has arranged additional fixtures outside its Future Tours Programme to prepare the national team. Zimbabwe hosted Australia in September 2026 and have a tri-series involving Bangladesh and Afghanistan scheduled, followed by a three-match ODI series in India in January 2027, The Express Tribune reported.
Victoria Falls stadium and the Super Seven format
The Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls is expected to be inaugurated in the coming months, according to Cricbuzz. Raza said the venue would offer more than just cricket. "What we expect from Victoria Falls, as much as cricket is important, but I think outside cricket, beautiful sightings, a peaceful sleep because you can hear the falls, a lovely sunset and some great human beings and a hospitable environment for everyone," he said.
Raza also backed the new Super Seven format for the tournament, which gives teams performing well more opportunities to play in the global event. "I quite like the Super Seven idea. I think the teams that play well deserve to have more games at the World Cup," he said, according to Cricbuzz.
Despite playing their matches at home, Raza acknowledged that Zimbabwe would struggle to gain a significant home advantage. He said the ICC controls most aspects of its events, making it difficult for host nations to influence playing conditions, according to Rediff.
Young talents to watch
Raza highlighted two emerging players as future stars for Zimbabwe cricket. He identified batter Brian Bennett and bowler Newman Nyamhuri as players who would feature prominently in Zimbabwean cricket after the senior players depart, according to Rediff.