Ahead of India series England to play one-off Test against Zimbabwe after 22 years

England and Zimbabwe are set to clash in a rare four-day Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, from Thursday, their first international meeting in 18 years. The match serves as vital preparation for England’s packed season while marking a symbolic return for Zimbabwe to the Test arena.

Zimbabwe last played a Test in England in 2003 , the same series where Jimmy Anderson debuted. Their cricketing journey since has been turbulent, with a complete Test hiatus between 2005 and 2011 due to political interference. From 2022 to 2024, they featured in just four Tests, but are now on an upward path with 10 scheduled between December 2023 and August 2024.

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The ECB is paying Zimbabwe a touring fee for being England’s first Test opponents this summer. ECB chief Richard Gould highlighted the board’s responsibility to sustain bilateral cricket.

Zimbabwe arrive on the back of a 138-run loss to a County Select XI in Leicester but recently drew a Test series 1-1 in Bangladesh, their first win since 2021.

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England, currently ranked No. 2 in Tests, will treat this as a warm-up ahead of sterner tests: a five-match series against India and the Ashes in Australia. Sam Cook is set for a debut, with Josh Tongue returning and Gus Atkinson continuing his rise. Questions remain around Ben Stokes ’s fitness post hamstring injury, and whether Shoaib Bashir will play.


England head coach Brendon McCullum said the team is ready to "shoot for the stars" in the Bazball era . While traditionalists may frown at the four-day format, most Tests under McCullum and Stokes have not needed a fifth day.

For England, it's a preparatory step; for Zimbabwe, it’s part of a long road back to Test relevance with upcoming series against South Africa and New Zealand also lined up this summer.