England ready to play first Test in Zimbabwe since bad-tempered 1996 tour

England are set to play their first Test match in Zimbabwe since the infamous David Lloyd “we flippin’ murdered ’em!” series in 1996 in the next edition of the International Cricket Council’s future tours programme, covering 2027 to 2031.

During discussions with Zimbabwe Cricket at the ICC’s quarterly meeting in Bali this week, the England and Wales Cricket Board has committed in principle to visiting for a Test match during the next cycle, although a firm date has yet to be agreed.

The one-off Test would take place at international cricket’s newest venue, the Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls, which is due to open next year and will stage four matches at the 50-over World Cup, which Zimbabwe is co-hosting with South Africa.

England’s visit would carry significant symbolic importance as they did not arrange matches against Zimbabwe for more than 20 years in protest at the repressive domestic policies of its government, initially under Robert Mugabe.

In 2008, the ECB announced it was suspending all cricket ties with Zimbabwe and cancelled their scheduled tour of England planned for the following year, five years after England’s players refused to play in a 2003 50-over World Cup group game in Harare due to security concerns.

The ICC awarded the match to Zimbabwe, which helped the co-hosts advance to the Super Six stage, while England failed to progress from the group having forfeited the points.

England did play a one-day international series in Zimbabwe the following year under Michael Vaughan’s captaincy, but did not face them again in any format for 21 years, until Zimbabwe played a one-off Test match at Trent Bridge in 2025 as part of a tour that also featured six white-ball matches in Ireland.

England’s most recent Test in Zimbabwe was in 1996 on an ill-tempered tour best remembered for Lloyd’s outburst after the dramatic drawn first Test in Bulawayo, which ended with the scores level, the first time in Test history a match had ended in a draw with the scores tied.

Chasing 205 to win on the final day, England required three runs off the final ball, but Nick Knight was run out trying to complete the third, leading a frustrated Lloyd to say afterwards: “We flippin’ murdered ’em. Hammered them. Bloody steamrollered them. They know it and we know it.” Lloyd was reprimanded by the ECB and his mood did not improve after the second Test and the series were also drawn.

The ECB will aim to finalise the rest of England’s fixtures until 2031 over the weekend in Bali, but priority will be given to those in the World Test Championship, which is not expected to feature Zimbabwe, Ireland or Afghanistan despite their push to expand the competition to all of the ICC’s full members.

Following a lengthy consultation process, the ICC’s board is expected to confirm on Sunday that the WTC will remain at nine teams until at least 2029.