Zimbabwe star Sikandar Raza climbed to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI All-Rounder Rankings after standout performances against Sri Lanka in Harare.
Raza struck two half-centuries in the two-match series and took one for 48 from 10 overs in the first ODI. His efforts, despite Zimbabwe losing the series, lifted him past Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai (296 points) and Mohammad Nabi (292) to the No. 1 spot with a rating of 302.
The 38-year-old also surged nine places in the ODI Batting Rankings to No. 22.
Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Givemore Makoni hailed the achievement as a milestone for both the player and the nation.
“We are immensely proud of Sikandar Raza for rising to the very top of the ICC ODI All-Rounder Rankings,” Makoni said. “His consistency, resilience and match-winning qualities continue to inspire not only his teammates but the whole of Zimbabwe.”
Makoni also praised senior teammate Sean Williams, who climbed seven places to No. 16 in the all-rounder rankings and three places to No. 47 in batting.
“Sean Williams has also shown once again why he is such a vital part of our team, with his consistent contributions both with bat and ball,” Makoni said. “We extend our appreciation to him and indeed the entire squad for their fighting spirit and encouraging displays against Sri Lanka.”
On the bowling front, Richard Ngarava rose two places to No. 20 in the ODI Bowling Rankings, while Raza followed at No. 38. As a team, Zimbabwe sit at No. 11 in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings.
Makoni said the rankings reflected a positive trajectory for Zimbabwe cricket.
“These rankings movements show that our players are competing hard at the highest level,” he said. “While results did not go our way against Sri Lanka, the individual performances point to a promising future as we continue building toward greater success.”
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