By Zim Sport Live Writer
Sikandar Raza has thrown his full support behind in-form opener Brian Bennett, urging the 22-year-old to stick to his natural game as Zimbabwe prepare for the Super Eight stage of the ICC T20 World Cup in India.
Bennett has been Zimbabwe’s standout performer with the bat, scoring 175 runs in just three innings, including two half-centuries. Remarkably, the young opener is yet to be dismissed in the tournament, underlining his growing importance at the top of the order.
Bennett’s role clear: “Just bat”
Speaking ahead of Zimbabwe’s clash against the West Indies cricket team on Monday, Raza made it clear that Bennett’s responsibility remains simple — stay at the crease for as long as possible.
“Brian Bennett is Brian Bennett. His role is just to bat as long as he can bat,” Raza said. “While you may think I am being funny, only people who understand Brian would know what I am talking about. His role is to bat. For as long as he can. That’s it. And that means 20 overs, 15 overs, 18 overs — doesn’t matter. Brian must just bat.”
Bennett has perfectly executed his anchor role during Zimbabwe’s group-stage matches in Sri Lanka, where conditions were slower and more challenging for batters. Now, with the Super Eight fixtures taking place in India — known for its flatter, batter-friendly pitches — expectations are high that the youngster could thrive even more.
No excuses over Indian conditions
Zimbabwe are playing in India for the first time in a decade, but Raza insists the team will not hide behind unfamiliar conditions.
“Some of us have played here (in India) and the majority haven’t. But it’s not down to the fast outfield or the conditions or anything like that. If anything, I think the weather is slightly more pleasant here,” Raza said.
The skipper emphasized that preparation and teamwork will be key, rather than worrying about lack of experience.
“It’s the same work that we do, the same soil, the weather, the breeze, the outfield, the players. Instead of worrying about the lack of experience in India — the ground, the stadium or whatever — we are going to enjoy each other’s company. We are going to help one another with our notes in training and put our best foot forward.”
Zimbabwe eye historic T20 World Cup run
With Bennett in red-hot form and Raza leading from the front, Zimbabwe will be hoping to carry their momentum into the Super Eight stage and make a serious statement on the global stage.
All eyes will be on the young opener to see if he can once again bat deep into the innings — because as Raza has made it clear, when Brian Bennett bats long, Zimbabwe stand a strong chance of winning.