From Nottingham to Lahore: How Sikandar Raza travelled the world for Qalandars' PSL glory

On Saturday evening, Sikandar Raza lunged at one in Trent Bridge, and got out. While the rest of his team-mates reflected following an innings defeat in their one-off Test against England, Raza's journey - quite literally - had only just begun.

In less than 24 hours, his PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars would play the league final in Lahore. Raza's commitment to the Qalandars this year has not been in question; a week earlier, he flew in from England to help secure their place in the knockouts, before flying back the following day to rejoin his national side for Zimbabwe's first Test in England over two decades.

Now that Test was over, the Qalandars began to work on a surreal plan.

He jumped into a friend's car and was driven to Birmingham, the nearest airport for the speediest flight to Lahore. With no business-class seats available, he was happy to take an economy flight to Dubai. A six-hour layover and another change of airport later - he jumped on a flight in Abu Dhabi bound for Lahore; he was still on his way from the airport when Shaheen Afridi announced at the toss he was part of the starting XI.

"I am here to do a job, and God forbid, if we happened to lose the game then at least in my heart I knew I was with my brothers," Raza said following the game. "I know the team truly wanted me here, given the efforts the owners and the captains went through over the last 24-36 hours to get me here. If I tell you, it's unbelievable.

"Bowled 25 overs [in the Test] the day before yesterday, batted for 20 overs yesterday. Had dinner in Birmingham, breakfast in Dubai, drove to Abu Dhabi for lunch, took a flight and had dinner in Pakistan. I guess this is the life of a professional cricketer and I'm truly humbled and blessed to have that life."

Two balls into his spell, Raza took the crucial wicket of Rilee Rossouw, but it wouldn't be until three hours later that it became clear why the Qalandars moved heaven and earth to have him in their side. At no point all game did the Qalandars look as out of the game as the moment Raza came out to bat. Mohammad Amir was bowling a characteristically clutch death-over which had two balls left to run; he had just sent Bhanuka Rajapaksa packing. Qalandars needed 57 off 20, and Amir had another over to go after this.

Amir dropped the first one short, and Raza got low, smearing it to the midwicket boundary. Beginner's luck, maybe? Amir went around the wicket to angle a short ball into his body, but Raza's connection was even cleaner, and it flew all the way over that boundary for six more.

"I tried to take the emotions out," he said. "I think all the journey and the Test match helped me because I was so mentally and physically drained. All I was saying to myself was just watch the ball. I was blank out there. I wasn't predicting or thinking where the ball's going to be and what I'm going to do. All I said was wherever the ball is hit the best shot."

He wouldn't get much of the strike for the next couple of overs, but Kusal Perera was doing a superb job at the other end. Even so, in the decisive final over, the Gladiators had marginally inched ahead once more, and with Raza facing, his side needed a further eight off three.

Faheem Ashraf attempted a wide yorker, and didn't miss the mark by much. But he was bowling to a man who had spent the previous day somehow doing what needed to be done. So Raza found a way to get underneath it, generating phenomenal power at the end of his range to scythe it to, and over, cover point for six. Faheem missed the yorker next delivery and by now, destiny appeared to have laid out the red carpet for Raza. He whipped it to the midwicket boundary, smoke from the ensuing fireworks engulfing the Gaddafi Stadium as the Qalandars' squad poured in and hoisted the Zimbabwean on their shoulders.

"This is what it's all about," Raza said. "We played three knockout games. Which team's going to be more prepared than us? We had a final we won off the last ball two years ago. If I had to pick one, [it'd be this one] just because of the story of how we got here. There was so much drama going on in this game, and to get a victory like this is unbelievable. I've got no words at the moment."

His actions, you would think, have spoken loud enough for him not to need any.