Raza, Ervine agonise over failure

23 Dec, 2018 - 00:12 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Brighton Zhawi

SIKANDAR Raza hasn’t moved on from Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales next year.

Neither has Craig Ervine.

Eight months on since March, 22, 2018 — the day Zimbabwe lost to UAE by three runs in an ICC Cricket qualifying match and relegated the 32-year-old to emotional purgatory — Raza, who was voted player of the qualifying tournament, is still hurting.

“I have not (moved on), brother; it’s just that I don’t talk about it as it sounds like a broken record now,” he said.

“However, our game versus UAE must not take away anything from all the good work and performances we had done and achieved prior,” said the all-rounder. Ervine was the man on strike when Zimbabwe needed six runs off the last ball to beat UAE and qualify for the World Cup. He has struggled to move on too.

“It will be hard for anybody to foregt what happened and it will be part of us for years to come,” said the 33-year-old left handed batsaman.

“It’s always going to be at the back of your mind when ever certain conversations come up.

“There is no way of escaping it…i feel the best way to that is winning,” Ervine said. Much like his former gaffer Heath Streak and the rest of his teammates, Raza’s nightmare began on this very day last year.

Then, the Chevrons were a merry bunch (pun intended), excited about playing a historic pink-ball four-day Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth.

It’s a little bit different for Raza this time around as the World Cup heartbreak still lingers.

“It would have been a merrier Christmas (had Zimbabwe qualified for the World Cup),” said Raza.

Ervine said he is excited to be spending Christmas at home.

“The excitement of the historic pink ball test last year was enjoyable.

“This Christmas at home with family and friends after a few years will be just as enjoyable and a little more relaxing than last year i would say,” he said. Raza believes the year hasn’t been all gloom and doom for the national cricket side.

The Chevrons recorded their first Test away win in 17 years when they beat Bangladesh by 151 runs in the first Test of the two-match series in November.  “Away win after 17-years is definitely a reason to smile about,” said Raza. In 2018 Zimbabwe played 26 ODIs recording five wins that came against Sri Lanka, Afghanistan (2), Hong Kong and Ireland.

In T20Is the team went winless in eight matches, but their biggest success remains the Tests where they drew 1-1 in a two-match series away to Bangladesh in November.

“Inconsistency in our results and performances is because of lack of international cricket,” Raza reckons.

“With the little we have and what we had, I am extremely proud and believe that the year was good for Zimbabwe Cricket.

 

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