Less than a day after Zimbabwe lost their Test match against England at Trent Bridge, all-rounder Sikandar Raza was on a flight to Lahore to join the Lahore Qalandars for the PSL final against Quetta Gladiators.
Raza had scored 60 off 68 deliveries in the second innings of the Test before his dismissal resulted in a big defeat for Zimbabwe.
When did Sikandar Raza arrive in Pakistan for the PSL final?
Raza’s arrival in Pakistan was timed to the minute. He landed at the airport just ten minutes before the toss, according to ESPNCricinfo, prompting the Qalandars to prepare two team sheets, one including Raza and the other with Shakib Al Hasan, who would have played in case Raza did not arrive in time.
Despite cutting it close, Raza was eventually named in the playing XI, and Shakib was left out. Quetta Gladiators won the toss and chose to bat first.
However, it would have been unlikely that Raza had played the final if the Test match had gone the whole distance. The game ended in just under three days, allowing Raza the opportunity to turn out for Qalandars.
Final, Quetta Gladiators vs Lahore Qalandars
vs
- Ball by ball Over
The Gaddafi Stadium is 17 kilometres from the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore. Travelling between these two locations typically takes around 30 minutes, according to Google Maps.
Raza had been a regular part of the Qalandars squad before the tournament was paused due to cross-border tensions with India. Ahead of the resumption - four days before the Zimbabwe-England Test on May 22, there were question marks over his return, but Raza had clarified that national duty was his “top priority”. He also hinted that he would return for the PSL if the dates did not clash with his international commitments.
He returned to Pakistan for the league clash against Peshawar Zalmi. Following the Qalandars’ victory and progression to the playoffs, he rejoined Zimbabwe in England for the one-off Test, missing the Eliminator and the second Qualifier that Lahore played.
He was, however, back for the final, with the Qalandars arranging for Raza to return.
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