We want Sikandar Raza to lead from the front: Zimbabwe coach ahead of opener

New Delhi: Sikandar Raza's vast experience of playing in various T20 leagues would certainly come in handy for an inexperienced Zimbabwe outfit, which would like to punch above its weight against a talented Indian side, head coach Justin Sammons said ahead of five-match series, starting on Saturday.

"I think we're very fortunate to have a player like Sikandar Raza leading the side. He brings great experience, We want him to lead from the front. He's been superb in the changing room and taking the players under his wing. We want his bat to do the talking. as well as his bowling," Sammons said from Harare.

Over the years, Indian selectors have always rested top players during the summer months when the team tours the African nation where a series' broadcast rights helps in keeping the host country's cricket board in good health and best of spirits.

Even then three players from the T20 World Cup winning squad -- Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson -- are expected to be available from the third game of the series and all four stand-bys, including skipper Shubman Gill are part of the set-up, taking the count up to seven.

"This is an opportunity for this team to do that and to showcase their skills against the best and obviously to get an understanding of where they're at," said Sammons, who was South Africa's batting consultant between 2021 and 2023.

Sammons said that his focus is on the future and he wants to build a good team in next two years with players improving their game awareness and also honing their skills adequately for the elite level.

"I don't want to dwell on what's happened in the past, but what I want to do is obviously focus on the future. We've created a clear vision in terms of where this team wants to go within the next two or three years

"We're encouraging players to continually want to up-skill and improve. And they know they're going to be taken out of their comfort zone in doing that," he said.

Sammons waxed eloquent about Gill, praising his work ethic which translated into a golden period of 18-odd months across formats.

"Shubman is a superb cricketer, I remember first seeing Shubman, I think I was with the Proteas. We were playing that Test series against India. I think it was December, 2021. He didn't get any game time there, but you could see his work ethic and how professional he was in the way he went about his business in the nets during that Test series was something exciting to watch. And like I say, his record speaks for itself."

Talking about the swashbuckling southpaws Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube, the coach said, "They're exciting, they're dangerous. They have proven records against their names. It's an amazing opportunity for us I think as a youngster growing up you always dream of playing against the best in the world."

The coach also heaped praises on newbie Riyan Parag.

"We can see how dangerous Riyan Parag is. He had a great IPL, showed his worth there. Again, another exciting prospect for India. Again, it's another opportunity for our guys to test themselves against the best," he concluded.