The thaw begins… Zimbabwe set to tour England after 20-year hiatus

ZIMBABWE CRICKET (ZC) has just made a thrilling announcement that is sure to delight cricket fans. After a hiatus of two decades, the Chevrons are finally set to tour England for a long-awaited bilateral series. This exciting news comes as a result of the ongoing efforts to mend the cricketing relationship between the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and ZC.

Givemore Makoni, the Managing Director of ZC, confirmed the arrangements, revealing that not one, but two Zimbabwean teams will embark on this remarkable journey to the European nation. The first tour, featuring Zimbabwe ‘A” is scheduled for next year, while the national team will take the centre stage in 2025. Finalising the dates for these momentous tours is still a work in progress, but negotiations are in full swing.

“It’s true, we are in talks with the ECB and we have made good progress. Zimbabwe ‘A’ will tour England next year while the national team will tour in 2025. This will be an important tour for us as we haven’t played against England in 20 years and they are one of the biggest cricket nations in the world.

“We have good ties with the ECB and resuming those ties can only be positive for us, making sure that our players get the experience and chance to play in English conditions,” said Makoni.

The fact that England and Zimbabwe haven’t faced each other in a bilateral series since 2004 only adds to the excitement. In fact, the 20-year gap between their encounters stands as the longest period without a bilateral series between any two full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Despite the two countries not playing against each other, English County teams have been visiting Zimbabwe for matches. The latest Counties to visit the country were Glamorgan and Durham Counties who came in for an all format tour. The tour was part of the teams’ pre-season and played against Zimbabwe’s Southerns and Northerns teams.

In a further display of their commitment to galvanise Test cricket globally and maintain its relevance, the England and Wales Cricket Board is contemplating extending a prestigious invitation to Lord’s Cricket Ground, the Home of Cricket, to Bangladesh as well. The last time Bangladesh played in any format in England was back in 2010, and this proposed visit would surely reignite the cricketing flames between the two nations.

According to the English publication, The Telegraph; “The England and Wales Cricket Board is keen to help galvanise Test cricket around the world to maintain the format’s relevance and is exploring whether there is space to invite Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.”

“In both 2024 and 2025, England are only scheduled to play five Test matches in the home summer. A slot could potentially be found in these years to fit in a sixth home Test match, although during the 2024 home summer the T20 World Cup is being staged in the West Indies and the United States.”
— @brandon_malvin