Sikandar Raza plays PSL final after landing from England ten minutes before toss

Less than 24 hours ago, Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza was trying to prevent an innings defeat in the Test match against England at Trent Bridge, scoring 60 off 68 balls before his dismissal sealed Zimbabwe's fate.

Within hours he was on a plane bound for Lahore, where his PSL franchise, the Lahore Qalandars, play the final of the tournament against Quetta Gladiators. Such was Qalandars' eagerness to have him in their playing XI they raced him from the airport - where he landed ten minutes before the toss - to the ground. The Qalandars had prepared two team sheets, one with Raza in it and the other in the eventuality he did not make it in time, with Shakib al Hasan to play in that scenario.

It has been typical of a season where Raza has dashed back and forth from Pakistan. He was a fixture in the Qalandars side at the start of the competition, before leaving when the league was suspended earlier this month. It resumed four days before the start of Zimbabwe's Test against England at Trent Bridge, and Raza flew back to Pakistan from England for one game - a knockout against Peshawar Zalmi. With victory and qualification for Lahore secured, he flew back to join his Zimbabwean team-mates in England.

Over the next three days, Zimbabwe lost by an innings to England, while the Qalandars secured back-to-back wins in the playoffs to secure a berth in the final. The Test finished on Saturday evening Pakistan time, and Qalandars had already decided to fly the allrounder in to give him the best shot of being available for the tilt at the trophy.

When the toss took place, Raza's plane had landed, though he still hadn't arrived at the ground. However, he was named in the Qalandars squad, with Shakib missing out. Gladiators won the toss and decided to bat first.