Zimbabwe Host Afghanistan for One Test and Three T20Is

Zimbabwe will host Afghanistan in Harare for a one-off Test from 20–24 October and three T20Is from 29 October to 2 November, continuing a busy 2025 cricket calendar (image source)

Zimbabwe will host Afghanistan for a one-off Test match followed by three Twenty20 internationals at Harare Sports Club later this month, a compact tour that tests Zimbabwe’s red-ball depth and offers a high-intensity T20 finish for local fans.

The lone Test is scheduled for 20–24 October, with the three T20Is set for 29 October, 31 October and 2 November, all at Harare Sports Club, ensuring a single-venue series that simplifies logistics and concentrates spectator interest. Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed the fixtures and said the tour continues a busy 2025 calendar that has already seen the Chevrons face England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh and Ireland in the longest format, making this the nation’s tenth Test of the year and a stern examination of squad rotation and workload management.

Afghanistan arrives as a well-rounded unit with match-winners in every department and pace and spin options that challenge Zimbabwe’s batting on home pitches; their recent success in Zimbabwe, including a 1–0 Test series win earlier this year, gives them a psychological edge but also familiarity with local conditions. For Zimbabwe, the Test offers a chance to arrest a run of heavy defeats in 2025 and to blood younger players ahead of a congested international calendar. Zimbabwe will likely rely on established all-rounders and senior batters to anchor innings while blooding promising fast bowlers before the T20 leg; Afghanistan’s attack, led by experienced spinners and seam options, will focus on exploiting any weaknesses against the new ball and on turning the Harare pitch with quality spin spells.

All matches at Harare Sports Club mean single-venue ticketing, easier broadcast arrangements and a predictable match timetable, which should help domestic broadcasters and travelling supporters plan attendance; ticketing and matchday details will be released by Zimbabwe Cricket in the coming days. The two sides have developed a competitive rivalry in recent years, meeting across formats in Zimbabwe and Afghanistan with tightly contested encounters; Afghanistan’s rise as a Test-playing nation has produced several memorable duels, and the Harare fixtures are expected to draw strong local interest and regional broadcast attention.

Key questions for the Test are whether Zimbabwe can withstand Afghanistan’s spin and whether home pacers can exploit early movement; in the T20s, power-hitting and death-over bowling will decide outcomes. For selectors, the series is a window to balance development and competitiveness ahead of next year’s international commitments.