Two decades later, Zimbabwe step back into the English summer

The four-day Test will kickstart a busy year in Test cricket for England. © Getty
In a way, Zimbabwe have spent much of James Anderson's 21-year, 188-Test career looking in from the outside. They were there at the very beginning, being the opposition on his Test debut at Lord's in 2003. And then, quite suddenly, they were gone. That series remains the last time Zimbabwe played England in Test cricket.

Now, more than two decades later, they are back in the United Kingdom. There will be no Anderson charging in from the Pavilion End; it's almost coming to a year since he retired. There will be no Nasser Hussain walking out in captain's blazer; he will instead be behind a microphone in the commentary box. What awaits Zimbabwe isn't familiarity but a return to the rhythms of Test cricket, a format they've been busy at this year.

Zimbabwe began the year with Tests against Afghanistan, Ireland and Bangladesh, even registering a memorable win in Sylhet, but the road ahead only gets steeper. Starting now at Trent Bridge, they enter a phase of high-stakes Test cricket against the bigger teams, with home series against South Africa and New Zealand to follow. How they cope and hold themselves together could shape the narrative of their rebuilding chapter.

It is no doubt going to be a steep challenge for the visitors. A 138-run defeat in their warm-up game against a modest County Select XI has already underlined the gap and stepping up against England's Test side will be an entirely different proposition.

England would be wise to not underestimate Zimbabwe This is not the seasoned, swaggering bowling unit of the Anderson-Broad years. Experience in the bowling department is thin, the batting has blown hot and cold, and their captain Ben Stokes, who's coming back after a hamstring surgery, is unlikely to offer the full all-round package. The team, as a whole, hasn't also captured the public's imagination lately and it's no surprise then that head coach Brendon McCullum has called for "a bit of humility" and for the side to reconnect with the fans once more. A commanding win over Zimbabwe will go a long way in doing just that.

It doesn't matter that the contest feels one-sided, that it's a four-day Test, or that it doesn't carry World Test Championship points. Or that it's perhaps just the appetizer before the main course, a five-Test epic against India later in the season. What matters is that Zimbabwe are playing England once again in Test cricket. That another English summer begins. And that a new generation of Zimbabwe cricketers, many of whom have heard more about playing in England than experienced it, now get their turn on the stage, at one of the sport's more storied venues, ready to be part of the conversation again.

When: Only Test, May 22-May 25 2025, 11:00 AM local

Where: Trent Bridge, Nottingham

What to expect: There's always something for the pacers at Trent Bridge. Josh Tongue already has 13 wickets in the two county matches he's played at this venue this season but it's not to say that run-making has been impossible. In the four county matches at this venue this season, there have been three results and one draw. A bit of rain is forecast for Saturday.

Team news

England

Sam Cook, the 26-year-old Essex seamer, has been confirmed to make his Test debut. England also continue to show faith in their tall offspinner Shoaib Bashir.

Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), James Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, Shoaib Bashir

Zimbabwe

Trevor Gwandu was ruled out with a left groin strain and Tanaka Chivanga has been roped in as a replacement. Blessing Muzarabani, who was Player of the Match in the Sylhet Test victory recently, will once again be key for the visitors.

Probable XI: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Nick Welch, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine(c), Wessly Madhevere, Tafadzwa Tsiga(w), Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabani

What they said

I'm obviously very excited about getting the nod and getting out there. It's any young cricketer's dream to pull on the Test shirt for England. So it's something hopefully that comes to fruition and I'm really, really looking forward to it. - Sam Cook

The ability these guys have to be able to play on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights and the pressure that it takes is one thing, but also the ability to be humble and show some humility and not feel out of touch with the general population is something I'd like to see us improve on. - Brendon McCullum