Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
SIKANDAR Raza believes time has come for the national cricket team to turn the corner on the big stage and impress at the ICC Cricket World Cup.

They are in Group B which includes defending champions India, Pakistan, West Indies and neighbours South Africa who are among the pre-tournament favourites.

Zimbabwe will also play Associate nations Ireland and United Arab Emirates in the same pool.

Four teams will progress to the quarter-finals from two groups, which have seven teams each, and Zimbabwe have not made their intentions a secret.

But to achieve that they would need at least three wins in the group stage.

Raza said apart from victories over the Associate nations Ireland and UAE, they are also targeting West Indies and Pakistan to progress to the Super Eight.

Zimbabwe crashed out in the first round at the last two editions of the tournament in 2007 and 2011.

They are also desperate to put up a good show to win back the confidence of the supporters back home.

“The supporters have stuck with us through the bad times and I do hope and believe that those times are about to turn. Going to the Super Eight will definitely give them a boost.

“To those who had turned their backs I would like to request them to come back and start supporting us again.

“We are really giving our best and I believe we are not too far away from producing results,” said Raza.

The team left on Wednesday and were yesterday expected to connect from Sydney, Australia, to New Zealand where they will conduct a training camp for the next week.

They will play three warm-up games against the Northern Districts XI before engaging in two more practice matches against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

The matches should be crucial for coach Dav Whatmore and his men since they have not been involved in high-profile assignments leading to the World Cup.

“It would have been lovely to play few more international games but there are things that you cannot control. What we can (control) is how we prepare and I think we have prepared well for the World Cup.

“The batters and the bowlers have come along very well. I think the preparation have gone on very well.

“Also because we are going there two weeks early, and have five warm-up games, that should give us a good idea of where we are now.

“We are expected to beat Ireland and UAE. We are also targeting to cause one upset either to beat Pakistan who we know can play either great or not so great.

“West Indies, with the problems that they are having, we can also use the opportunity to target them as well,” said Raza.

Raza will be playing for the first time at the World Cup after impressing selectors with his fine form in recent months.

“Some of the boys have been playing together for a long time and some of the junior players like myself and other couple of guys who have walked in have been welcomed into the squad very nicely.

“We spend a lot of time with each other and I think all of us are putting a genuine effort to understand each other and because of that team spirit is high. We know the strengths of each other, we know how to get the best out of each other, everybody is helping each other to make sure that we win games and go to the Super Eight,” said Raza.

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