All-rounder Sikandar Raza has been crowned Internationational Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Player of the Month for August 2022, becoming the first Zimbabwean to win the prestigious accolade.
He defeated fellow nominees and all-rounders Mitchell Santner of New Zealand and England’s Ben Stokes to the accolade. He said:
I’m incredibly humbled and honoured to have won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award from the ICC.
It’s even more humbling being the first Zimbabwean to ever win the award.
Raza was instrumental in Zimbabwe’s One Day International (ODI) cricket series win against Bangladesh last month at Harare Sports Club.
The win by five wickets completed Zimbabwe’s first win against a major team in five years.
Sikandar Raza’s second successive unbeaten century and captain Regis Chakabva’s 102 off just 75 balls contributed much to the victory.
Raza had earlier taken 3 for 56 to help restrict the visitors to 290-9.
Two days after his 192-run fourth-wicket stand with Innocent Kaia had taken Zimbabwe to a five-wicket win in the first ODI, Raza had the company of Chakabva while scripting another challenging chase.
Chakabva made his maiden ODI hundred, which, coming up in just 73 balls, was the fastest by a Zimbabwe batter in ODIs.
Coming together at a shaky 49 for 4, Raza and Chakabva added 201 for the fifth wicket, off just 189 balls. It was only the third 200-plus stand in Zimbabwe’s ODI history and their highest for the fifth wicket.