Zimbabwe Cricket's desire to play Test, T20Is in Australia unlikely to materialize: Reports

Zimbabwe Cricket's (ZC) desire to push for a three-match T20I series or a one-off Test during their upcoming tour of Australia is unlikely to see the light of the day, with their counterparts reportedly having shrugged it off.

Zimbabwe men's cricket team will tour Australia for the first time since 2003/04 to feature in a three-match ODI series in the month of August.

This series will be a part of the ICC ODI Super League and it was supposed to take place in 2020 but was eventually postponed due to the global pandemic.

In February, ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani spoke of his desire to have Zimbabwe play a Test in Australia as he felt that it would be an ideal development for the young players.

“A Test match against Australia in their conditions would be a great development for our players, who would really look forward to the challenge,” he told ESPNcricinfo.

“We are confident either a one-off Test or the T20is can be arranged, so we have a bigger tour but it is subject to their scheduling,” he said. 

“We will come even if it is for three ODIs.”

However, it is unlikely to happen given the chock-a-block schedule of the Australian team.

Australia will tour Sri Lanka for 3 T20Is, 5 ODIs and a couple of Tests in the month of June and July before they return home to host New Zealand and Zimbabwe in three-match ODI rubbers.

They will then travel to India for a T20I series before hosting England and the West Indies for a T20I tri-series before the World Cup in October-November.

Zimbabwe last played a Test and ODI on Australian soil during their 2003/04 tour Down Under, famous for Matthew Hayden's epic 380.

The African nation have a busy schedule themselves as they will host Namibia and Afghanistan for white-ball fixtures in the coming months before playing hosts to the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in July.