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Brandon Moyo, brandonmalvin9@gmail.com
ZIMBABWE Cricket kicked off 2025 with a historic milestone, hosting their inaugural New Year’s Day Test at the iconic Queens Sports Club. This landmark event, the nation’s first-ever New Year’s Day Test, marked a significant moment for Zimbabwean cricket.
The match, in its third day, concludes a historic two-match Test series against Afghanistan, which began with the momentous Boxing Day Test — Zimbabwe’s first home Test in 28 years. This exciting start to the year sets the stage for what promises to be a busy and thrilling 2025 for Zimbabwe in red-ball cricket
Zimbabwe has been one of the most inactive teams in Test cricket over the past few years.
Since the start of 2020, the Chevrons have played only 11 Test matches, averaging just two matches per year over this period. In the last five years, the Chevrons have faced Sri Lanka (two matches, 2020), Bangladesh (one-off match, 2020), Afghanistan (two matches, 2021), Pakistan (two matches, 2021), Bangladesh (one-off match, 2021), West Indies (two matches, 2023), and Ireland (one-off match, 2024). However, according to their 2023-2027 Future Tours Programme (FTP), Zimbabwe are scheduled to play nine Test matches in 2025 (including the ongoing one against Afghanistan), their highest number in a calendar year since the early 2000s.
Soon after the conclusion of the New Year’s Test, Zimbabwe will host their second Test of the year in February against Ireland. Initially, the Chevrons and Ireland were set to face off in two Tests as per the FTP, but the series has now been reduced to one Test, which will take place at Queens Sports Club, starting on February 6.
This series against Ireland will also feature three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals.
After the Ireland series, Zimbabwe will play a historic one-off Test against England. The Chevrons will make the long-awaited trip to England for a four-day Test match after a two-decade hiatus. The historic match is pencilled in for May 22 to 25, marking Zimbabwe’s first visit to England since 2003. After their trip to England, Zimbabwe will host South Africa for a two-match Test series in June/July. This will be Zimbabwe’s first Test series against the Proteas in eight years, following their last encounter in a day/night pink-ball Boxing Day Test in Gqeberha in 2017.
In July, Zimbabwe will also host New Zealand for two Test matches, marking their first red-ball encounter since 2016, when New Zealand won 2-0. In November, Afghanistan will return to Zimbabwe for another two Tests.
Zimbabwe’s premier fast bowler, Richard Ngarava, is looking forward to the challenges ahead for the team in Test cricket in 2025. The left-arm seamer believes the team is capable of putting in a strong performance against any opponent.
“That’s going to take a lot of experience from every player. We are going to have to try and showcase our talent. Our bowling coach always tells me that cricket is played 80 percent mentally and 20 percent skill.
So, I think we will manage whatever comes our way as a team,” Ngarava said.
He added that if the team sticks to their processes, they will compete effectively.
“Cricket is cricket. You don’t want to be walking in the park thinking you are bowling to someone who has done well out there in the world. You will always come across big teams, but I’ll say that a good ball is a good ball, and a strong shot is a strong shot. It’s all mental again, so we will definitely try to be mentally strong throughout all these games,” he said.
Only the Tests against Ireland and England have confirmed dates and venues, while the dates and venues for the other matches will be announced in due course. With most of the matches taking place in Zimbabwe, the local cricket faithful will be up for a treat of the game’s oldest version.
Apart from the Test matches, Zimbabwe will also face Bangladesh (away for three ODIs and three T20Is in March), home T20I tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand (in June/July), New Zealand for three ODIs at home in July, Sri Lanka (three ODIs and three T20Is at home in September), and Afghanistan for three ODIs and as many T20Is in November at home. @brandon_malvin
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