Exclusive: Confidence building for an England Test-ODI tour of Zimbabwe in 2027
Confidence is building over England ending a long drought and touring Zimbabwe ahead of next year’s World Cup in southern Africa, with Test and One Day Internationals hoped to be part of the schedule.
The countries have not contested a bilateral series in Zimbabwe since 2004. Their relationship has long proved thorny due to strained political ties during the latter years of the reign of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe.
But relations have improved and they ended a 22-year Test hiatus last year with a four-day match at Trent Bridge. England and Zimbabwe have played just seven Test matches against each other, with only two in Zimbabwe - a 0-0 drawn series in December 1996.
There have been discussions over a possible bilateral series in Zimbabwe for some time between powerbrokers from both countries. Cricket Financial Journal understands there is a focus on a tour being organised ahead of the World Cup in October-November of 2027 which Zimbabwe will co-host with South Africa and Namibia.
If the tour does go ahead, an ODI series seems likely but there is a push for a Test match - probably a one-off match - to also be part of the tour. The likely venue for this historic match would be at Victoria Falls, named the Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium.
There had been hope that England would visit for a one-off Test match as an extension of their tour to South Africa in late 2026-early ‘27. But England’s busy schedule before and after this tour makes it difficult to shoehorn.
There might be more incentive for England to play Zimbabwe in Test cricket if the World Test Championship expands to 12 teams for the next cycle beginning in July 2027.
Zimbabwe, along with Afghanistan and Ireland, would be added to the WTC if the proposal gets passed by the ICC board, which may happen this month as CFJ first reported recently.
Zimbabwe officials have been actively trying to encourage countries to stopover en route to neighbouring South Africa, with Australia to tour for a three-match ODI series in September.
Zimbabwe have a big season ahead with powerhouse India to visit for a T20I series, as first reported by CFJ.
Next year’s World Cup is providing a carrot for countries to organise bilateral series in Zimbabwe, with teams hoping to acclimatise to conditions. It comes at a time where Zimbabwe is growing a reputation as a major destination for cricket, both on-and-off the field.
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I am confused about how the WTC will be structured
As a test starved Ireland fan, I assumed that the structure would remain, namely six qualifying series (minimum of 2 tests to constitute a series)
This both excited and terrified me, 6 home tests every 2 years was great news as a cricket fan, but I was also fearful of these normally loss making tests bankrupting cash strapped Cricket Ireland
Now hearing ideas of one test series, and teams could use Ireland as a warm up for an England tour, which might mean Ireland could host one test (possibly make a broadcasting rights profit against India, Australia etc, rather than what I originally expected of always hosting Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.
So will it be a minimum of 12 tests in the cycle or will that be more flexible, and will points scored be adjusted by the opponent’s ranking?