Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza keen to 'secure future' in all three formats

Zimbabwe`s Sikandar Raza reacts after scoring a half century during the fifth Twenty20 international cricket match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe (Pic: AFP)

Captain Sikandar Raza said Zimbabwe will try to rebuild the team and add new players in order to "secure" their future in all three formats.

Brian Bennett is one of the players who helped Zimbabwe win the fifth T20I against Bangladesh with an impressive all-around performance.

In order to prevent his team from losing a 5-0 BAN vs ZIM T20I series whitewash, Bennet, who made his debut for his country last year after Zimbabwe was eliminated from the 2024 men's T20 World Cup, bagged 2 wickets conceding 20 runs and scored a 49-ball 70. Zimbabwe will miss its fourth ICC tournament since 2019, the 2024 T20 World Cup.

"This is the vision. Because we are not going to the World Cup, we want to rebuild the team. We want to secure our future in all three formats. The senior guys will be there for a bit longer in ODIs and Tests, but in T20s we are trying to build a new team. The long-term vision is for these guys to gain the confidence from T20s to filter into ODIs and Tests," Raza told ESPNcricinfo.

"I can tell those youngsters that we tried our hardest (in the qualifiers) but it wasn't meant to be. For those coming into the changing room, there's still the right guidance available. Hopefully, our advice and guidance will help you kids cross that hurdle, and get to the World Cup if you ever have to play the qualifiers," he added.

The BAN vs ZIM T20I series was eye-opening for the team in transition. After the first match, they rested seasoned hitters Ryan Burl and Sean Williams for a few games. Craig Ervine was also replaced at some point following the third T20I. They intended to give Bennett, Jonathan Campbell, and Tadiwanashe Marumani more playing time.

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Bennett batted in three places throughout five games. He struggled at first, but scoring 70 in the sixth game gave Zimbabwe hope. He also used his off-spin to take vital wickets, including Shakib Al Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto in the fourth T20I and Soumya Sarkar and Towhid Hridoy in the fifth.

"I am very pleased with my performance. It is Mother's Day, so this one will be for my mum. I am grateful it came out today. I am fine batting anywhere in the order. I don't really have a set position to bat. I can play my normal game during or after the powerplay," Bennett said after the game.

"It is much easier as an allrounder these days to get your name out there. I am working on my bowling a bit. Hopefully, it will get better as my career goes on. It is something that I am definitely willing to get better at," he added.

Meanwhile, Raza said they are keeping an eye on the rankings and points system.

"For some reason, Zimbabwe play great in qualifiers but in the do-or-die match, all of us tend to fall off. We just want to make sure we qualify directly, and we don't have to play these qualifiers again," Raza said.

(With agency inputs)