LONDON (Reuters) – England will host Zimbabwe in a one-off four-day test match in 2025 as part of a concerted effort to improve relations between the two cricket boards, officials said on Tuesday.
It will be the first time Zimbabwe travel to England for bilateral cricket since 2003, when England fast bowler James Anderson took 5-73 on his debut at Lord’s.
“We are committed to developing a closer relationship with Zimbabwe Cricket and the announcement of this Test against our England Men’s team is a step in that ambition,” England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive officer Richard Gould said in a media release.
Zimbabwe have not played an away test against England, India or Australia since 2003.
“The significance and magnitude of this tour cannot be overemphasised, and I would like to say a huge thank you to the ECB for committing to the resumption of cricketing relations between our countries that date back to the introduction of the game in Zimbabwe in the 1890s,” Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Givemore Makoni said.
“The experience of playing a Test match against a top team like England is massive for the current generation of our players, coming at a time when our game as a whole is on an upward trajectory.”
The test will be played from May 28-31 at a venue which is still to be confirmed.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
