Zimbabwe toured Bangladesh in 2025/26 for two Test matches and drew the series 1-1. Mohammad Isam’s tour report as well as the match reports appeared in the 2026 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
Bangladesh v Zimbabwe in 2024/25
Test matches (2): Bangladesh 1, Zimbabwe 1
This tour had originally comprised six white-ball internationals but, because the teams had fitted in a T20 series the previous year as a warm-up for the World Cup, it was changed to two Tests. Bangladesh were in a rebuilding phase after the retirements of Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah. But it was still a shock when Zimbabwe came out on top in a tight match at Sylhet, chasing down 174 with three wickets to spare. It helped that the pitch proved quick and bouncy: the tall seamer Blessing Muzarabani finished with nine wickets.
Bangladesh hit back on a more traditional subcontinental track with a thumping victory at Chittagong, where Mehedi Hasan completed a century and a five-wicket haul on the third and final day. But the result did little to mask off-field chaos, with former board president Nazmul Hassan questioned about an alleged financial scandal, and barred from travelling overseas; his replacement, Faruq Ahmed, likened the Bangladesh board to Frankenstein’s monster. Phil Simmons, now overseeing his fifth Test team, had his work cut out to ensure the players focused on the cricket.
Zimbabwe’s touring party to Bangladesh, 2024/25
*CR Ervine, BJ Bennett, JMR Campbell, BJ Curran, TW Gwandu, WN Madhevere, WP Masakadza, VR Masekesa, NP Mayavo, B Muzarabani, R Ngarava, VM Nyauchi, TE Tsiga, NR Welch, SC Williams. Coach: J Sammons.
First Test at Sylhet, April 20-23, 2025
Zimbabwe won by three wickets. Toss: Bangladesh
In advance, Bangladesh had been concerned mainly about Muzarabani, who had taken five-fors in both his previous two Tests. They were right to be worried: he added another here – and nine wickets in the match – as his side pulled off a rare victory. Zimbabwe’s batsmen defied nerves on the fourth day to chase down a tricky target of 174, completing their country’s 14th win in 123 Tests, the first since beating Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi in March 2021.
On a sporting pitch, Bangladesh toiled to 191 on the first day. Nyauchi dismissed the openers, before Muzarabani made his mark, removing Bangladesh’s captain Nazmul Hossain with a short ball. The spinners, Masakadza and Madhevere, then got to work on the middle order, while Muzarabani returned to dispose of the dangerous Mehedi Hasan.
Bennett, cutting well, and Curran got Zimbabwe off to a flying start, putting on 67 before the first-day close. Both fell to Nahid Rana early on the second morning, but Williams dropped anchor for two and a half hours, before the last two wickets added 50 vital runs, stretching the lead to 82. Mehedi took the last five, but the spinners generally were off colour, and Taijul Islam finished wicketless.
It was now that Muzarabani came into his own. He removed Shadman Islam in his second over, and Mahmudul Hasan for 33, although the key moment was his dismissal of Nazmul second ball on the fourth morning, before he had added to his overnight 60. Only Jaker Ali resisted for long after that, the last five falling for 45, which left Zimbabwe a more gettable target than had looked likely at the start of the day. Muzarabani finished with a Test-best 6-72.
Bennett and Curran made another good start, putting on 95 – but four wickets in 12 overs, including the experienced Williams, and Bennett for an attractive 54, set the nerves jangling. Mehedi picked up his tenth wicket of the match – his 200th in Tests – and it was left to Madhevere, the last specialist batsman, to drag his side across the line. He reverse-swept the winning runs off Mehedi, to spark delight among the tourists.
Player of the match: B Muzarabani.
Second Test at Chittagong, April 28-30, 2025
Bangladesh won by an innings and 106 runs. Toss: Zimbabwe. Debuts: Tanzim Hasan Sakib; VR Masekesa.
Mehedi Hasan had taken ten wickets in the First Test, though in defeat. Now he added five more, and a century, as Bangladesh squared the series with an emphatic innings win, completed in extra time on the third evening. It was their 23rd Test victory, and third by an innings (at Mirpur in February 2020, they had beaten Zimbabwe by an identical margin).
Zimbabwe had reached 69-3 on the third afternoon, still trailing by 148, but with Curran doggedly fending off the spinners. However, a rush of blood from Ervine, who missed a slog at Mehedi, started a terminal slide. In the same over, a classical off-break trapped Madhevere; Taijul Islam, who had taken six in the first innings, chipped in with three, and the game ended when debutant Vincent Masekesa became the first Zimbabwean to be run out twice in a Test. Mehedi finished with 5-32, rounding off quite a day: earlier, he had taken his overnight 16 to 104, his second Test century. He shared stands of 63 with Taijul and 96 with the debutant seamer Tanzim Hasan Sakib, to lift Bangladesh to 444, almost double Zimbabwe’s total. No Test player had scored more runs on a day on which they had taken five wickets.
On the first, Zimbabwe had begun well, thanks to attractive half-centuries from Welch and Williams. They struggled with the heat: Williams occasionally had trouble straightening his fingers, while Welch’s legs cramped up several times. At 162-2, he retired hurt, having faced one ball after tea, and from there it was all downhill; the sight of him walking off must have been like the promise of a breeze for the bowlers. Nayeem Hasan removed Ervine and Williams, before Taijul ran through the tail. Welch returned at the fall of the eighth wicket, but not for long: in all, Zimbabwe lost their last eight for 50, and Bangladesh were back in the contest.
There was another pleasant surprise for the home side when Shadman Islam and Anamul Haque put on 118, Bangladesh’s first century opening stand in Tests since December 2022. Anamul, recalled after three years in which he had been the most prolific domestic run-scorer, posed fresh challenges: he was busy at the crease, pinching quick singles and taking on the short stuff. He eventually departed for 39, but Shadman went on to his second Test hundred (the other was also against Zimbabwe, in July 2021). It was the first century by a Bangladesh opener for 16 Tests.
The middle order threatened to throw away the advantage, before Mehedi papered over the cracks, reaching his century with last man Hasan Mahmud at the crease. Masekesa’s leg-breaks brought 5-115, debut figures bettered for Zimbabwe only by seamer Andy Blignaut’s 5-73 against Bangladesh at Bulawayo in April 2001. But the lead was over 200, which proved ample.
Player of the Match: Mehedi Hasan. Player of the Series: Mehedi Hasan.
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