Skip to content Thirty years after David Lloyd fumed that his side had murdered their hosts in Bulawayo, an England Test in Zimbabwe is finally returning to the international calendar. The England and Wales Cricket Board agreed in principle to the fixture during ICC quarterly meetings in Bali this week. While administrators have not settled on a firm date, the match will fit into the 2027 to 2031 Future Tours Programme cycle.
This breakthrough closes one of the longest political rifts in modern cricket. England last visited for a red-ball series in 1996, before decades of diplomatic tension and government boycotts froze bilateral tours. Now, Zimbabwe Cricket will stage a historic one-off match against England on home soil.
Also read: World Test Championship expansion faces major ICC debate
For supporters, the fixture brings a fresh venue and ends an era of isolation. English cricketers spent years avoiding trips to Harare and Bulawayo over human rights concerns, but sporting ties have begun to normalize.
Why an England Test in Zimbabwe took three decades to arrange
England avoided bilateral cricket against Zimbabwe for more than two decades in protest against the repressive domestic policies of Robert Mugabe’s government. The stand created deep divisions across the sport and disrupted major international tournaments.
The standoff peaked before the 2003 World Cup when England players refused to travel to Harare for a scheduled group fixture. The squad cited safety concerns and forfeited the match entirely. That decision gifted points to Zimbabwe, helping the co-hosts reach the Super Six while England crashed out in the opening round.
Michael Vaughan led an English one-day team to Zimbabwe in 2004, but the brief thaw collapsed soon after. In 2008, the ECB took the formal step of suspending all cricketing relations. Officials cancelled a planned 2009 tour of England by Zimbabwe, locking the two boards into a standoff that lasted 21 years without a single match across any format.
Normal relations resumed only recently when Zimbabwe traveled to Trent Bridge in 2025 for a standalone Test match alongside white-ball games in Ireland. That visit opened the door for this reciprocal agreement.
Victoria Falls steps up to host England Test in Zimbabwe
When the teams meet, they will play at international cricket’s newest venue rather than traditional grounds like Harare Sports Club. The one-off Test will take place at the Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls.
Construction work on the ground finishes next year ahead of a demanding international schedule. The stadium will stage four matches when Zimbabwe co-hosts the 50-over World Cup alongside South Africa. Bringing an England Test in Zimbabwe to Victoria Falls gives the scenic tourist hub a marquee red-ball fixture.
The ECB committed to the trip during face-to-face negotiations with Zimbabwean officials in Indonesia. Both boards want the fixture played during the 2027 to 2031 cycle, though the precise window remains open. Finalizing the tour schedule requires fitting the standalone game around England’s heavy international commitments.
Nick Knight, David Lloyd and the chaos of Bulawayo
The last time England played a Test match on Zimbabwean soil, the tour descended into furious controversy. The 1996 series opener in Bulawayo produced one of the most dramatic conclusions in cricket history, ending as the first Test to finish in a draw with scores tied.
England chased a target of 205 on the final afternoon and came down to the final ball needing three runs to win. Nick Knight sprinted for a third run to snatch victory, but a direct hit ran him out at the striker’s end. The result left England head coach David Lloyd incandescent with rage inside the dressing room.
Lloyd vented his anger publicly after the match, declaring to reporters that his team had flippin’ murdered, hammered and bloody steamrollered their opponents. The ECB quickly reprimanded Lloyd for the outburst. His mood hardly recovered when the second Test also ended in a draw, sealing an unconvincing series result that lingered in English memory for decades.
World Test Championship door stays shut on Harare
While the agreement represents progress for bilateral relations, the planned match will sit outside the World Test Championship framework. Smaller nations have pushed to expand the nine-team competition to include every full member, but the ICC is resisting that change.
Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan have all campaigned for entry into the league structure to secure regular top-tier red-ball fixtures. Despite their lobbying, the ICC board will confirm that the tournament remains locked at nine teams until at least 2029.
Because the proposed match carries no league points, the ECB is prioritizing its official championship obligations first. Negotiators in Bali must lock in the rest of England’s schedule through 2031 before finalizing logistics for the African trip. Still, securing an England Test in Zimbabwe marks a major milestone after decades of political estrangement.
ICC officials will formally ratify the nine-team World Test Championship structure on Sunday in Bali, clearing the way for both boards to settle on a final match date.
Source: Guardian Sport
