Zimbabwe set for Bangladesh Test tour after five years

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially announced the itinerary for Zimbabwe's long-awaited Test series in Bangladesh, set to take place in April 2025. The two-match series will begin at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on April 20, with the second Test scheduled for April 28 at Chattogram's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Zimbabwe's last Test appearance in Bangladesh dates back to February 2020, where the Tigers dominated with an innings and 106-run victory in Dhaka. The two sides last faced off in red-ball cricket in July 2021, with Bangladesh securing a comprehensive 220-run win in Harare.

The squads for both teams are yet to be announced, and no warm-up matches have been scheduled.

This Test series was originally planned for 2024 but was postponed to accommodate Bangladesh and Zimbabwe's preparations for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Instead of the longer format, the two teams played a five-match T20I series last year. Now, the rescheduled red-ball encounters will mark Zimbabwe's return to Test cricket in Bangladesh after five years.

The upcoming series will not be part of the ICC World Test Championship cycle, as Zimbabwe does not hold full-member status in the competition. However, the matches hold significant importance for both teams particularly for Bangladesh as they look to maintain their stronghold over Zimbabwe in the longest format.

With Zimbabwe aiming to prove themselves in Test cricket and Bangladesh seeking to assert their dominance once agai, an intriguing contest awaits in April.