BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
BULAWAYO – Zimbabwe’s recently concluded Test series against the West Indies at home looks set to be the last until end of year as the African country continues to struggle for fixtures in the premier version of the game.
After a gritty performance to force a draw in the first Test at the Queens Sports Club here, an absenteeism-hit Zimbabwe side was outplayed in the second contest to lose by an innings and four runs to the Windies inside three days.
It was the first time in 18 months that the Zimbabweans were playing Test cricket, and following that, the Chevrons will go into another familiar halt due to a congested schedule by the top Test-playing nations.
Zimbabwe doesn’t play in the prestigious ICC World Test Championship, so its matches in the longer format have no points at stake, leaving the best sides on the planet to constantly play against each other throughout the year.
The Zimbabweans are now only expected to return to Test action at “the end of the year” at home to Afghanistan, said a well-placed official on the ZC board.
“There is not much space because of the Test Championship which we are not part of, but we have more Tests in the 2023-27 cycle actually,” he said.
New Zealand will then arrive in Zimbabwe early in 2024 for two Tests.
