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THE Chevrons will host Zimbabwe’s first Boxing Day Test in 28 years and the country’s first New Year’s Test this festive season.
Both matches are scheduled for Bulawayo. The historic matches are part of a full tour by Afghanistan that also includes a limited-overs series.
Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will first meet in three T20 international matches set for December 9, 11 and 12 at Harare Sports Club.
After that, they will face off in as many one-day internationals pencilled in for December 15, 17 and 19 at the same venue.
Action will then move over to Bulawayo for the Test series, with the first one scheduled for December 26-30 and the second being played from January 2-6.
To date, the country has hosted just a single Boxing Day Test, when Zimbabwe faced England in 1996 in a drawn match badly hit by rain at Harare Sports Club.
Since then, Zimbabwe’s only other involvement in a Boxing Day Test has been away from home, against New Zealand at Wellington in 2000 and when they played South Africa in the inaugural pink-ball, day-night Test at Port Elizabeth in 2017.
They also took on Sri Lanka in a Test match that started on 27 December 2001 in Colombo.
The Chevrons have never played a New Year’s Test before, whether on home soil or abroad.
Commenting on the historic series against Afghanistan, ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said:
“Boxing Day and New Year’s Test matches are iconic cricket fixtures that we are delighted to be adding to our calendar this festive season and we are looking forward to celebrating in style one of the finest traditions in the sport’s long history.
“Before the Test series, scheduled for Bulawayo, we will start off with some T20I and ODI action in Harare to complete a full tour, a clear demonstration of our commitment to improve our game across all formats.
“Matches between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan are always intense and exciting affairs and we have no doubt the players will once again serve up some great entertainment befitting such an historic tour.”
Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Mirwais Ashraf said:
“The all-format tour to Zimbabwe is a significant event for us. We have a rich history with Zimbabwe, and playing there has always been challenging, but it’s a challenge I believe the AfghanAtalan can face confidently.” — zimcricket.
Online Reporter