Sikandar Raza’s exceptional all-round performance proved pivotal as Zimbabwe clinched a resounding six-wicket victory over the Netherlands in their Cricket World Cup Group A qualifier on Tuesday.

After displaying his prowess with the ball by securing four Dutch wickets, Raza further showcased his talent with the bat, hammering an entertaining unbeaten century off a mere 54 deliveries. This remarkable feat not only earned him accolades but also etched his name as the Zimbabwean player with the fastest hundred in one-day internationals (ODIs).

Batting first, the Netherlands set a formidable target of 315 for six wickets, with Vikramjit Singh contributing 88 runs, skipper Scott Edwards adding 83, and Max O’Dowd scoring 59. Saqib Zulfiqar’s unbeaten 34 off 34 balls further bolstered their total within the allotted 50 overs at Harare Sports Club.

Raza emerged as the standout bowler, claiming four wickets for 55 runs in his ten overs. Zimbabwe’s run chase appeared comfortable throughout, thanks to Sean Williams’ rapid 91 off 58 balls, supported by the contributions of openers Craig Ervine (50 runs) and Joylord Gumbie (40 runs).

Ultimately, it was Raza who sealed the victory in style, smashing a winning six over mid-off, clearing the boundary with a strike of immense power. His display of aggressive batting included three consecutive sixes off Shariz Ahmad.

“I just wanted to go out there,” expressed the 37-year-old Pakistani-born all-rounder, who secured the win with a significant 55 balls remaining. “The platform was already set, I just wanted to stay humble and respect every ball, but it was there, I went for it. As long as we win the game, we are happy, and we are happy for each other’s performance.”

In another Group A match, Nepal, who suffered an opening defeat to Zimbabwe, triumphed over the United States by six wickets. Shayan Jahangir, born in Karachi and serving as wicketkeeper, played a crucial role with an unbeaten century, helping the US team reach a total of 207 all out off 49 overs after recovering from a precarious 18 for four wickets. Sushant Modani (42) and Gajanand Singh (26) made notable contributions, but the remaining batsmen struggled, with only two reaching double digits. Karan Khatri Chhetri and Gulsan Jha combined to claim seven wickets for Nepal.

Nepal comfortably chased down the target, with Bhim Sharki’s unbeaten 77 and contributions of 39 runs each from Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee. They secured victory with 42 balls to spare, ending at 211 for four wickets.

The United States suffered their second defeat after previously losing to the West Indies in their opening game.

The tournament continues on Wednesday with Group B matches featuring Ireland against Scotland and Oman taking on the United Arab Emirates in Bulawayo.

Only two out of the ten participating teams in this three-week qualifier will secure a spot in the World Cup, scheduled to be held in India in October and November.

Arunkumar, who was hired in early 2020, had to wait more than a year to preside over a match due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last 16 months, his USA teams produced a series of historic highs on the field. But they also suffered a series of lows. The lack of consistency ultimately contributed to Arunkumar’s departure, something he acknowledged in his farewell statement.

“I am very thankful for my time as head coach of the USA Men’s National Team and will leave with plenty of fond memories from nearly three years in charge,” he said in a statement that the board issued. “I am pleased with the individual and collective progress of the team throughout my time but also disappointed that we couldn’t quite take our opportunities to qualify for a World Cup for the first time or perform more consistently in Cricket World Cup League 2.” The biggest win under Arunkumar came during his first series on home soil when the USA beat Ireland in December 2021. It was their first-ever T20I win over a Full Member, as part of a 1-1 series drawn in Florida.

However, USA’s failure to qualify for the T20 World Cup in 2022 left the administrators frustrated. Due to their cash-strapped position, it was unlikely that USA Cricket would fire Arunkumar for this, and be stuck having to pay him while also needing to hire a new coach, however, it became clear that his contract would not be renewed at the end of the year.

The team’s ODI results were a mixed bag under Arunkumar. The USA achieved victories both home and away against Scotland in 2022. But they also had a disastrous tour of Papua New Guinea in September in which they went winless. It included a tie and a loss to the hosts (PNG’s second win out of 28 ODIs so far in the league). The top three teams in the seven-team league are guaranteed places in the 2023 ICC World Cup Qualifier, but the USA’s poor string of results means they are likely to finish outside that cut-off. So now, they will have to go into a six-team tournament early next year, where they must finish in the top two to advance to the Qualifier to be played in Zimbabwe.
Arunkumar gained a reputation early on as a player’s coach who was more a man-manager than an outright tactician. His influence helped renew confidence in veteran players like Malhotra, who was one of Arunkumar’s first recalled players after having been dropped from the USA squad in 2019, and Monank Patel, who took over as USA captain from Saurabh Netravalkar under Arunkumar in 2021.

Arunkumar’s tenure was also marked by handing out a significant number of debuts to younger, often homegrown talents. But the overwhelming majority have largely failed to develop successfully into becoming USA regulars under his watch. Abhishek Paradkar, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Kyle Phillip, Yasir Mohammad, Ritwik Behera, Vatsal Vaghela, Sai Mukkamalla, and Rahul Jariwala all received ODI or T20I debuts for the USA in 2021. Yet all but Mukkamalla played a handful of games – the 18-year-old played eight ODIs – before being dropped as USA’s management soon defaulted back into the habit of preferring former overseas professionals.

Shayan Jahangir was the latest of those to make his debut in November, with more similar selections expected to occur in 2023. Ex-New Zealand international Corey Anderson is part of a wave of players that will become eligible for the USA early next year under the ICC’s three-year residency criteria.

USA Cricket has already begun its recruitment process to find a replacement for Arunkumar.” Jak’s time at the helm began just as the world was going through the huge difficulties of the Covid pandemic and it wasn’t easy throughout the initial stages of his time in the USA,” said Atul Rai, USA Cricket interim board chairman. “However, he always carried himself professionally and put the best interests of the team first and we would like to wish him well for the future as [he] moves on to new coaching opportunities.”