BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
HARARE – West Indies will tour Zimbabwe in February for two Test matches, the first time in a year and a half that the host nation will be taking the field in the five-day format.
Zimbabwe last pulled over the whites against Bangladesh in a single Test in Harare back in July 2021, losing by 220 runs to the Asian side.
The Zimbabwe leg will be the first of a long tour to southern Africa by the West Indies, who will proceed to South Africa for two more Tests as well as three ODIs and three T20Is.
The Test series against the Proteas will be the final round of matches in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
Meanwhile before the Caribbean side’s visit, Ireland will be the first team to tour Zimbabwe in the new year – arriving in January for three ODIs and three T20s.
This will be the first time that Zimbabwe will be playing following the Chevrons’ commendable performance at the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Zimbabwe had been scheduled to return to action before end of year, but Afghanistan’s visit has been shelved. Reports suggest that the decision was taken by the Afghans’ cricket board to allow their players to make some extra money in the on-going Abu Dhabu T10 tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
After the West Indies cross to the border to South Africa, Netherlands will arrive in Zimbabwe in March for three ODIs.
In July and August, Zimbabwe will then take on Afghanistan in an all-format series – two Tests, three ODIs and three T20s – likely to be staged in the UAE.
Afghanistan doesn’t host matches due to the security situation in the volatile Asian country.
