Raza hopes Zimbabwe can shine on home stage at 2027 World Cup

Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza says the 2027 Cricket World Cup will offer his country a chance to showcase its hospitality and natural beauty as he prepares for a potentially special tournament late in his career.

The 40-year-old hopes the event, co-hosted by Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, will leave visiting supporters with lasting memories when it begins on October 2, 2027.

“From a collective point of view, I do think the world really needs to see what Africa has to offer: the beauty, the crowd, the vibe and everything that we have to offer in Zimbabwe, especially,” Raza said at the launch of a mobile cricket game.

“The world deserves to see it. For people who will find time to travel to Zimbabwe to watch the World Cup, it will be an unforgettable experience.”

The tournament will mark Africa’s return as a Cricket World Cup host after 24 years and offers Raza a chance to play on home soil at a major international event as he approaches the latter stages of his career.

“Every cricketer dreams of having retired or to retire after a World Cup,” he said.

“The fact that I am coming to the end of my career as well, so to have an opportunity to play a home World Cup is certainly a blessing for me from a personal point of view.”

Zimbabwe will play league matches in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, where the newly built Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium is expected to provide a distinctive setting for the tournament.

Raza said the experience for travelling fans would extend beyond the cricket, particularly in Victoria Falls, one of the country’s best-known tourist attractions.

“What we expect from Victoria Falls, as much as cricket is important, but I think outside cricket, beautiful sightings, a peaceful sleep because you can hear the falls, a lovely sunset, and some great human beings and a hospitable environment for everyone,” he said.

Despite the prospect of strong home support, Raza was cautious about how much advantage Zimbabwe could gain from familiar surroundings at an International Cricket Council tournament.

The all-rounder also welcomed the proposed Super Seven format, saying it would reward teams that perform consistently.

“I quite like the Super Seven idea. I think the teams that play well deserve to have more games at the World Cup,” he said.

Raza praised Zimbabwe Cricket for arranging additional fixtures outside its Future Tours Programme to give the national team more opportunities to prepare for major competitions.

“When it comes to Zimbabwe and the fixtures, if you look at our FTP, our board has done really well to find fixtures from here and there outside our FTP programme as well,” he said.

“Zimbabwe Cricket has gone up and beyond for their players to play more games to be ready for whichever fixture.”

Zimbabwe hosted Australia in September and have further preparations ahead, including a tri-series involving Bangladesh and Afghanistan, followed by a three-match one-day international series in India in January 2027.

Zimbabwe have been drawn in Group A alongside Afghanistan, Pakistan, Australia, India and a team emerging from Qualifier A. They are scheduled to open their campaign against the qualifying side on October 9.