Watch: Zimbabwe Cricketers Celebrate T20 World Cup Super 8 Entry With Fans
Following his side's qualification for the Super Eight stage of the ICC T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza said he feels "humbled" to have crossed the first hurdle and reflected on how the aim was to bring more "recognition and respect" to the nation
Following his side's qualification for the Super Eight stage of the ICC T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza said he feels "humbled" to have crossed the first hurdle and reflected on how the aim was to bring more "recognition and respect" to the nation, especially after missing out on the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualification. Courtesy of their strong performances in wins against Oman and 2021 champions Australia, along with a washout against Ireland, Zimbabwe have advanced to the Super Eights for the first time ever-marking their best performance in a T20 World Cup. In the process, Ireland and Australia have been knocked out of the tournament.
From 2007 to 2016, Zimbabwe bowed out in the group stages of every T20 World Cup. In the 2020s, they failed to qualify for the 2021 and 2024 editions, while they finished 12th in the 2022 edition in Australia after making it to the Super 12 stage.
This marks Zimbabwe's strongest showing in any ICC white-ball event in years and comes on the back of plenty of all-format action against top Test-playing nations, including India, last year. They had previously made it to the Super Six stage of the 1999 and 2003 ODI World Cups, with their best finish being fifth in 1999.
Zimbabwe's players acknowledged their fans' support after sealing a place in the T20 World Cup Super Eight.
Sikandar Raza & Zimbabwe Team Celebration After Qualifying for Super 8s 👏 pic.twitter.com/0MwkI7Cvne
— Saj18 (@sjcricinfo) February 17, 2026
Speaking about the fan support in Sri Lanka, Raza said it was the "nature of their cricket" that had encouraged supporters to travel and watch them play after a long time, adding that the team had given fans hope that Zimbabwe were "onto something and can achieve something."
"And that is not just the cricketers or the changing room or the technical staff. It is our fans. It is our media. It is the citizens of our country. It is everybody who is connected to cricket, whether in Zimbabwe or overseas. If all of us are together, I think we will achieve something. Seeing them here tells you they believe in this group of boys, and to repay that faith by qualifying for the Super Eight with a game to spare makes the trip worthwhile. I can only hope there will be more and more numbers the next time Zimbabwe travel for away games so that our Castle Corner, as we call them, can travel and support us anywhere we go," he concluded.
Speaking after the washout in a post-match press conference, Raza said, "Certainly very humbled, very grateful, very pleased. As much as the boys are enjoying themselves-and rightly so-we have another game in less than 48 hours (against Sri Lanka), which we need to prepare for, and that includes a travel day tomorrow. So yes, we will have a little celebration in the changing room, but once we leave, our focus shifts to that game. For now, everybody is happy, honoured, pleased, grateful-all those feelings."
The Zimbabwe skipper said qualification for the Super Eight was a "tick in the box" but "certainly not the whole box we set out to tick."
"One of the goals we set out-without revealing all of them-was to bring more recognition and respect to our country. Whatever has happened in the past has happened, but this group of boys, the way we have been together for a long time, and the way we have gone about our business with utmost honesty and integrity toward the game and each other-those were among the things we set out for," Raza reflected.
"And to see you all and everyone else taking notice of Zimbabwe and putting Zimbabwe in a very respectable light is humbling and pleasing. It is certainly another box ticked. Hopefully, we can keep writing our own history, and the next time people talk about Zimbabwe cricket, they show a bit more respect. That was one of our goals."
Raza added that he felt "honoured" to be leading a side performing so well and insisted that more credit should go to his teammates.
"I am just a guy who sits here and talks. But the way we have gone about our business, the way we have prepared, and everything we committed to as a team-the things we wanted to achieve, the sacrifices required-people had to change their ways. Now, seeing the rewards, I am sure everyone is thinking we did the right thing by doing X, Y, Z or by leaving X, Y, Z behind. I cannot tell you how proud I am of these boys," he said.
On missing out on qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup at home and the 2024 T20 World Cup as well, Raza recalled telling the team they had two choices: "either feel sorry" or "understand the reality that only they could get out of the mess they made."
"I remember sitting down with the squad and saying: either we feel sorry for ourselves and be ashamed, or we accept the reality-that we are in this mess because of us, and only we can get out of it. So either we get together and work toward a singular goal: to win this tournament, win the qualifiers, get to the World Cup, and write our own history. We all agreed unanimously that yes, it is our own fault because we kept most of the same squad. And we said it is only us who can get out of it," he said.
"Our country deserves more respect and recognition. And we, as cricketers, deserve more respect too. We can only earn it by doing X, Y, Z. We sat down and laid out a plan. Along the way, we would have bad games, and criticism would come. But if we stayed true to our plan, trusted each other, and created a better culture and environment for the team to thrive in, we would be fine. To see the results after almost two years is certainly very pleasing," he added.
Zimbabwe Cricket Team