Australia to tour Zimbabwe for three-match ODI series in 2026

Bangla Press Desk:  Australia are set to return to Zimbabwe next year for a three-match ODI series, marking the end of an eight-year absence from the country in the 50-over format. However, the long-running Test drought between the two nations will continue, with no red-ball fixtures included in the tour.

The ODI series — expected to be officially confirmed in the coming weeks — will take place in Harare and potentially Bulawayo. The new 10,000-seat stadium in Victoria Falls, once considered a possible venue, is unlikely to be ready in time.

Australia will play the series as part of a brief stopover before their Test and ODI tour of South Africa in September-October 2026. The arrangement, as per reports, comes as both teams ramp up preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia.

As per reports, Zimbabwe Cricket had strongly pushed for a one-off Test to be added to the schedule in what would have been a marquee event. But the proposal fell through due to Australia’s packed red-ball commitments. Australia are slated to play at least 19 Tests from mid-2026 leading into the 2027 Ashes, leaving little room for additional fixtures.

Australia and Zimbabwe have met only three times in Test cricket, with the most recent encounters dating back to 2003. That series is widely remembered for Matthew Hayden’s then-world-record 380 at the WACA. Their only Test in Zimbabwe came in 1999, when Steve Waugh’s side triumphed by 10 wickets in what became Ian Healy’s final Test appearance.

Australia last visited Zimbabwe in 2018 for a T20 tri-series also involving Pakistan, while their previous ODI matches there were in 2014. The upcoming tour will therefore mark a long-awaited return — and an important tune-up for the World Cup on southern African soil.

BP/SP