England to host Zimbabwe in cricket test match for first time since 2003

England will host a cricket test match against Zimbabwe for the first time since 2003 following discussions between the country’s boards to forge closer relations. The four-day test will take place in May 2025 at a venue yet to be confirmed, the England and Wales Cricket Board said Tuesday.

“The significance and magnitude of this tour cannot be over-emphasized,” said Givemore Makoni, managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, “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.” ECB CEO Richard Gould said his board was “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.”

Gould said England wants to “help grow test cricket and find opportunities to play more nations where we can.” The decades-long hiatus happened because of the political situation in Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe’s regime, which ended in 2017. The 2003 test series between the teams was notable for the debut of England pace bowler James Anderson, who is still playing at age 41.