Zimbabwe will welcome Australia for a three-match ODI series in 2026, marking the visitors’ first return to the country in eight years and providing a major boost for international cricket in Zimbabwe. The series will be played as a stopover ahead of Australia’s tour of South Africa in September–October 2026 and is expected to be officially confirmed in the coming weeks.
The matches are likely to be staged in Harare and possibly Bulawayo, with Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) conceding that the new 10,000-seat stadium near Victoria Falls will not be ready in time. While the ODI series is an important step forward, ZC’s hopes of hosting a one-off Test match against Australia have been put on hold due to Australia’s heavy future schedule.
Zimbabwe Cricket chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani reiterated the board’s desire to revive Test cricket against the game’s top nations at home. “We are a Test nation, so playing the top countries like Australia and England at home will go a long way to making this format popular in Zimbabwe,” Mukuhlani told ESPNcricinfo. “Playing against the best teams will help our players develop their skills in Test cricket. Understandably Australia wants to prepare for the World Cup, but hopefully we can play them in Test cricket in the future.”
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Australia and Zimbabwe have played only three Tests in their history, with the last two coming in 2003 and the only Test in Zimbabwe dating back to 1999. As a result, the Test drought between the two countries will continue for now, despite ZC’s efforts to secure a landmark fixture.
However according to ESPNcricinfo, reported that there is growing optimism within Zimbabwe Cricket that England will visit for a one-off Test in late 2026 or early 2027 as an extension of their tour of South Africa. It is hoped that match will be played at the new Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium near Victoria Falls. England and Zimbabwe only recently ended a 22-year Test hiatus with a four-day match at Trent Bridge, renewing belief that regular red-ball cricket can return to Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s strategy is also tied to the expected expansion of the World Test Championship to include all 12 Full Member nations in a single division. If approved, it would force more teams to play Zimbabwe, though many are expected to limit those encounters to one-off Tests. Zimbabwe, however, is aiming to go further.
“Some countries might just play a minimum number of Tests, but we are hoping to play more,” Mukuhlani said. “We will aim to stage two or more Test match series against the likes of Australia and England.”
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