Bangladesh will host Zimbabwe for a five-match T20 series in May, with one eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), however, has announced the itinerary for Bangladesh's five-match T20 International series against Zimbabwe on Saturday, report agencies.
This comes days after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that the team will be touring the USA for three T20s in May, ahead of showpiece event that will be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies from June 01.
The first three T20s, from May 03, will be played in Chattogram, while the last two matches will be held in Dhaka.
The BCB also said in a release that the two-match Test series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh which was originally scheduled for this year will now be played in 2025. It will be the first Test series between the sides since 2018.
The last time the two teams played against each other in a bilateral T20 series was in July 2022 in Harare, when Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh 2-1. Overall, Bangladesh hold a 13-7 win-loss ratio against Zimbabwe in the shortest format.The last time the two teams played against each other in a bilateral T20 series was in July 2022 in Harare, when Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh 2-1.
"Since we have been in continuous cricket in this year and also there is a T20 World Cup in June, so we decided to play the T20 series only," BCB Cricket Operations Chairman Jalal Younus said.
"We didn't skip the Test series. The two-match Test series will be held next year," he added.
The Zimbabwe will arrive on April 28 and play the first match of the series on May 3 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
The teams will then play the second and third T20 on May 05 and 07 respectively before heading to Dhaka for the remaining of the series.
The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka will host the fourth and fifth T20 on May 10 and 12 respectively.
As Bangladesh embarks on their T20 World Cup campaign, slated to commence on June 8 against Sri Lanka in Dallas, the series against Zimbabwe serves as a vital stepping stone in their quest for glory. With a challenging Group D featuring formidable opponents, including Nepal, Netherlands, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh aims to make a resounding statement and emerge as a contender for the coveted title.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe, despite missing out on qualification for the 2024 T20 World Cup, with Uganda and Namibia advancing from the Africa leg of qualifiers for the 20-team event. As co-hosts of the 2027 ODI World Cup, Zimbabwe sets its sights on a bright future.
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