Fasting gives you discipline and makes you stronger: Sikandar Raza

NEW DELHI: It is the holy month of Ramadan, and Sikandar Raza, a devout Muslim who was born in Pakistan, fasted throughout the day for over one week. However, that did not stop the Zimbabwean skipper, who will turn 40 this April, from performing.

He was the standout player on the field in Zimbabwe’s final T20 World Cup game against South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. Although Raza’s blazing 73 and three wickets could not carry his team to victory, he left a lasting impression. He finished the tournament as Zimbabwe’s secondhighest run-getter with 206 runs from six matches and also claimed five wickets.



Asked how he managed to keep his energy going while fasting, Raza said, “It’s a misconception that fasting takes energy off you. If anything, fasting gives you discipline and makes you mentally and physically stronger. I stop eating and drinking at 5:22 in the morning and then at 6:23 in the evening I start eating again. So, it’s just a matter of 13 hours. The previous games were 7 pm starts. So, it was touch and go, but the day game could be tough. But you don’t feel any difference.”

Although Zimbabwe’s World Cup campaign is over, he felt incredibly proud of his team’s performance.


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