Zimbabwe to play a Test match in England for first time in 22 years

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Zimbabwe will be playing a match in England for the first time in over two decades in May 2025. England would be hosting Zimbabwe for a Test match for the first time since 2003. Zimbabwe's last match on English soil was on September 14, 2004 when they locked horns in an ODI match against Sri Lanka in the ICC Champions Trophy at The Oval.

Overall, Zimbabwe have played four Test matches in England and lost three of them. One rain-marred match ended in a draw. The African nation will play their first Test in England from May 28-31, 2025. The venue for the four-day Test match is yet to be confirmed.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chief Executive Officer, Richard Gould, said, "We are delighted to be able to host Zimbabwe for a Men's Test match for the first time in two decades.

"Zimbabwe has a proud cricket history and have produced world-class players and coaches who have enriched the game across the world.

"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.

"This summer's Ashes series showcased all that is great about Test cricket and, while we must be mindful of the demands of world cricket's schedule, we also want to help grow Test cricket and find opportunities to play more nations where we can."

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Managing Director, Givemore Makoni, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be playing bilateral cricket in England for the first time in over two decades after we agreed to play a Test match in May 2025.

"The significance and magnitude of this tour cannot be over-emphasized, 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.

"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.

"This will be a historic tour for everyone involved with cricket in Zimbabwe and we are already looking forward to some exciting action on the field of play."