Zimbabwe make welcome return before feast of Tests

A feast of Test cricket will soon be served for England, a banquet of 10 regime-defining matches to come later this year, but first comes the imbibing of something small yet sweet to whet the appetite.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

Zimbabwe’s return today after a 22-year exile is a most intriguing and tasty aperitivo to settle the stomach and warm the heart before the meatier stuff to come.

The twin challenges that India and the Ashes will provide no doubt already occupy much of the minds of the England brains trust, but the start of their summer is reason for celebration, too. The two decades and two years since Zimbabwe’s last visit have been pockmarked by cricketing and cultural upheaval within a complex nation, multiple periods of suspension from the Test game, and a talent drain to more prosperous lands, causing further fluctuations of fortune.

To illustrate the passage of time, the last time England took on Zimbabwe in a Test, a certain JM Anderson was still a skittish colt far from the refined thoroughbred he would become and managing director Rob Key a soon-to-be-dropped middle order batter; Shoaib Bashir, England’s lead spinner, was yet to be born.

“It’s massive for Zimbabwe cricket,” head coach Justin Sammons conceded. “It’s such a privilege for us to be here. I don’t think I can answer why the gap was so long; that’s beyond my pay grade, but playing stronger opposition more regularly is hugely important.

“We want to be challenged against the best and see where we stand. It’s the arena where your skills are tested, which is massive in terms of us growing and developing. We’ve got to bring our best game and our skills are going to be challenged. But I feel we can compete – and as we all know in the game of cricket, anything can happen.”