Chronicle Editor
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ZIMBABWE Cricket chairman, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, says the association is committed to developing all formats of the game after agreeing to a schedule with Afghanistan headlined by their first Boxing Day Test at home in 28 years in December.
This will be followed by the country’s first ever New Year’s Test.
The historic matches are part of a full tour by Afghanistan that also include a limited-overs series.
Mukuhlani highlighted the importance of Boxing Day and New Year fixtures in the tradition of cricket.
“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,” he said.
“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 some great entertainment befitting such a historic tour.”
Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman, Mirwais Ashraf, is also excited by the arrangement.
“The all-format tour to Zimbabwe is a significant event for us,” he said.
“We have a rich history with Zimbabwe, and playing there has always been challenging, but it’s a challenge I believe Afghanistan can face confidently.”
Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will first meet in three T20Is set for December 9, 11 and 12 at Harare Sports Club.
After that, they will face off in as many ODIs pencilled in for December 15, 17 and 19 at the same venue.
Action will then move to Bulawayo for the Test series, with the first scheduled for December 26-30 and the second 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 in Wellington in 2000 and South Africa in the inaugural pink-ball, day-night Test in Port Elizabeth in 2017.
They also took on Sri Lanka in a Test match that started on December 27, 2001, in Colombo.
Zimbabwe have not played a New Year’s Test before.
The incoming tour by Afghanistan follows the visit by Pakistan for three ODIs and three T20Is next month.
Online Reporter