International Cricket

Zimbabwe Home 2026-27 Tour Window Fixtures Decoded

Rohan Bhatia 19 May 2026 Updated 19 May 2026 ~6 min read ~1,059 words

Queens Sports Club Bulawayo during a Test match

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Zimbabwe Cricket's 2026-27 home window includes five bilateral series across formats, hosted at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, and Harare Sports Club. The schedule is the busiest Zimbabwe home calendar in five years and reflects the board's strategy of building meaningful red-ball cricket alongside white-ball tours. Here is the full fixture list, venue tactical notes, and the squad context with Sikandar Raza captaining across formats.

The five series in the 2026-27 home window

Zimbabwe vs Ireland: T20I and ODI series, July 15-30, 2026. Three T20Is at Harare Sports Club, three ODIs at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan: away series at Greater Noida (covered in the Afghanistan home fixtures piece).

Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh: T20I, ODI, and Test series, August 12-September 7, 2026. T20Is at Harare; ODIs at Bulawayo; Tests (two) at Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe vs Nepal: T20I and ODI series, October 5-15, 2026, at Harare. Five T20Is and three ODIs.

Zimbabwe vs Pakistan: T20I, ODI, and Test series, December 8-30, 2026. T20Is at Harare; ODIs at Bulawayo; Tests (two) at Bulawayo and Harare.

Zimbabwe vs Scotland: T20I and ODI series, February 18-March 5, 2027, at Harare. Three T20Is and three ODIs.

Bulawayo (Queens Sports Club) tactical notes

Queens Sports Club is Zimbabwe's primary Test venue. The pitch in winter (July-September) is dry and aids reverse swing in the second innings. ODI scoring at the venue 240-275 range. Test scoring 320-380 in first innings.

The Queens Sports Club pitch is more pace-friendly than Harare. New-ball bowlers receive movement off the seam in the first 8-12 overs. The wicket flattens through the day and becomes a batting pitch by tea on day 1. Day 4 and 5 see significant turn from the resulting footmarks.

Harare (Harare Sports Club) tactical notes

Harare Sports Club is Zimbabwe's primary white-ball venue. T20I scoring 150-180 range; ODI scoring 240-270 range. The pitch is slower than Bulawayo and offers more spin throughout.

For T20Is, the powerplay batting is the key tactical phase. Spinners typically come in by over 6 and dominate through over 14. The death overs (15-20) are a tactical battle between hitter and slower-ball variations from the bowler.

For Tests at Harare, the pitch turns from day 2 onward. Zimbabwe's spin lead Wessly Madhevere and the seamer Blessing Muzarabani anchor the bowling attack.

Broadcast in major markets

In Zimbabwe: ZBC TV. Highlights on Heart and Soul TV.

In Bangladesh: T Sports and Star Sports carries the Bangladesh series.

In Pakistan: PTV Sports and Ten Sports.

In UK: Sky Sports Cricket carries select Test matches and the Ireland and Scotland series.

In Australia: Fox Cricket and Kayo carry select matches via the Cricket Australia digital partner deal.

In USA: Willow TV carries select matches.

In India: FanCode (digital streaming only) carries the Bangladesh and Pakistan series.

Squad and captaincy

Sikandar Raza captains across all three formats. Craig Ervine returns as a senior batting presence at three or four. The middle order around Sean Williams (when fit), Wessly Madhevere, and Brian Bennett. The wicketkeeper is Clive Madande.

Pace attack: Blessing Muzarabani leads. Tendai Chatara provides experience. The emerging name is Trevor Gwandu. Spin attack: Wessly Madhevere (off-spin), Brandon Mavuta (leg-spin), and the all-rounder Brad Evans.

Coaching: Justin Sammons is the head coach. Lance Klusener is the batting consultant for the Test cycle.

Tickets and travel

Zimbabwe Cricket releases tickets through the ZC fan portal 21 days before each series. Prices ZWG (Zimbabwe Gold) equivalent of USD 5-25 (standard to premium). International fan tickets are USD 8-40.

Visa for Indian, UK, Australian, and most European fans is the Zimbabwe eVisa, available 30 days before travel. Cost USD 30-55. Processing 5-10 working days.

Internal travel: Bulawayo is 6 hours by road or 1.5 hours by air from Harare. Most international fans fly into Harare International and connect by domestic flight to Bulawayo.

Hotels in Harare during Test weeks: USD 90-150 mid-range. Bulawayo hotels USD 70-130 mid-range. Both cities have established cricket-fan hotel zones close to the respective grounds.

What to expect tactically

Zimbabwe in their home window plays a results-oriented cricket strategy. Captain Sikandar Raza is aggressive with the bat and a useful off-spin option in white-ball. The home Test record under Sikandar's captaincy: 2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses across 5 Tests in the last 24 months.

Bangladesh series in August-September is the marquee window: two Tests on home turning surfaces. Pakistan series in December is the biggest commercial draw. Ireland and Scotland series provide quality cricket against full-member opposition.

What it means

Zimbabwe's 2026-27 home window is the strongest the country has hosted in over a decade. Plan around the Bangladesh August-September window for Test cricket at Queens Sports Club. The Pakistan series in December is the commercial peak. Travel logistics through Harare International are straightforward via eVisa. The cricket is competitive and Zimbabwe's home record gives them a tactical advantage. Watch for breakthroughs from the emerging pace attack.