PAK vs ZIM: Sikandar Raza opens up after winning third T20I against Pakistan

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza expressed mixed feelings after his team's victory in the final match of their series against Pakistan. While he admitted that the team had hoped to win the series, he took pride in their ability to finish with a win. "We wanted to win the series but unfortunately we couldn't. The desire to beat Pakistan was there and finishing with a win is incredibly satisfying," he said.

Raza acknowledged the challenges faced during the tour but praised the team's support for the younger players. "We had a tough tour but we backed the youngsters and for them to win it today was heartwarming to see," he added. The captain emphasized the importance of moving forward and not focusing on past losses. *"We did not want to dwell on the past, had we done so, we couldn't have won today,"* he explained.

Raza also highlighted the strong performance of Zimbabwe's bowling attack, which restricted Pakistan to just 133 runs. "Today I thought the bowling attack did really well to restrict them to 133,"* he said. He also spoke about Tashinga’s performance, noting that it was his first time facing a Chinaman. Despite the loss, Raza is confident the young player will learn from the experience. *"Unfortunately it can happen, first time Tashinga has faced a Chinaman, but he will learn a lot from today, and we have Afghanistan anyway next,"* he stated. He reassured that bad performances would not define the player's future, saying, *"A few bad games won't define him and his career and me and everyone will continue to back him" Raza described. 

Looking to the future, Raza expressed confidence in the team’s momentum. He felt that Zimbabwe's fast bowlers, especially Tinotenda, had the ability to make an impact. "We felt that with the way Tinotenda swings, it was going to fly, one edge and one middle of the bat and we won," he said.

Raza also reflected on Zimbabwe's victory over Pakistan, noting the significance of the win against one of the top teams in T20 cricket. "I was reading a stat that Pakistan are one of the top sides in T20 cricket, to win against them will keep us in good stead and help us a lot going forward" he further added.