HARARE (Reuters) - Players from lower-ranked nations have limited opportunities to learn from competing with top-tier teams but franchise cricket has helped them develop their skills by rubbing shoulders with elite cricketers, Zimbabwe's T20 skipper Sikandar Raza has said.
Zimbabwe received full ICC membership in 1992 but Ireland and Afghanistan, who joined the fold in 2017, have surged ahead in the white ball rankings.
Once a mainstay at World Cups, Zimbabwe have not qualified for the last two 50-over editions while their suspension from ICC tournaments due to government interference in its cricket board denied them the chance of playing in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
But in the last two years, Zimbabwe's performances have seen a significant improvement and Raza said their rise has coincided with their players participating in franchise leagues around the world - including their own Zim Afro T10 league.
"We don't get a lot of chances to play against some of those higher-ranked nations as much. So our development, our growth, is pretty much within ourselves," Raza, who has played in franchise leagues in over 10 countries, told Reuters.
"But because of these leagues, the confidence level, the learning we get when we play abroad in overseas leagues is sometimes a lot more than what we do on the park.
"The overseas cricketers, the legends of the game that we get to spend time with and to learn from and to ask them questions and try and get a better understanding of the game.
"I do think franchise cricket has brought international cricket a lot closer. The skill level of the lower-ranked nations is a lot better because of franchise cricket."
Raza said Zimbabwe are making gradual improvements in both white-ball formats but the scarcity of talented cricketers is a concern.
"In a population of around 14 million people, there are hardly 2,000 actively playing cricketers," he said.
"But I still believe with the little pool of players we have, we have shown the world some very good glimpses of how good Zimbabwe can be on their day."
ONE-OFF TEST
Raza currently leads the Joburg Bangla Tigers in the Zim Afro T10 but the 38-year-old says test cricket remains the true test of a player's mettle.
Raza is looking forward to Zimbabwe's one-off test in England next year - their first in the country since 2003 - and he hailed the England Cricket Board's decision to pay touring fees, urging other top nations to follow suit.
"Thanks to ECB for taking that step forward because if the top nations can do that, then that would allow Zimbabwe to play a lot more test matches. I do find that the real growth of a cricketer happens through test cricket," Raza said.
"Hosting a test match is very costly and Zimbabwe cricket could make a huge loss. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to host six to eight matches in a year.
"India have been a very good friend to Zimbabwe, they have hosted us pretty much every second year. So if the top nations can do that, it will be beneficial for Zimbabwe."