England To Host Zimbabwe For Historic Test In May 2025
The historic test match between England and Zimbabwe will be played between 28-31 May in 2025.
For the first time in 22 years, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will host a bilateral series against Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe will travel to England in May 2025, as affirmed by the governing council, as the one-off Test will be played from May 28-31. Notably, the match's location has not yet been determined.
Richard Gould, the chief executive officer of the ECB, stated that England is ecstatic to be able to host Zimbabwe after such a long time and is eager to aid the country's development by playing Test matches and finding more opportunities to forge strong connections.
"Zimbabwe has a rich history of cricket and has produced world-class players and coaches who have enriched the sport worldwide. The announcement of this Test against our England Men's team is a step towards our goal of fostering a closer relationship with Zimbabwe Cricket.
Gould was quoted by ECB as saying, "This summer's Ashes series highlighted everything 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."
The magnitude and significance of this tour cannot be overstated
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) conveyed their appreciation after the ECB confirmed the new development. Their managing director, Givemore Makoni, thanked ECB for its commitment to re-establishing a robust cricketing relationship, as it once was. He added that Zimbabwe are advancing, and therefore, competing against a top-tier nation will greatly help them advance.
"We are ecstatic to play bilateral cricket in England for the first occasion in more than two decades. The significance and magnitude of this tour cannot be overstated, and I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the ECB for committing to the resumption of cricketing relations between our nations, which trace back to the introduction of cricket in Zimbabwe in the 1890s.
"The experience of playing a Test match against a top team like England is monumental for the current generation of our players," Makoni stated, noting that our sport as a whole is on an upward trajectory.