Zimbabwe want to host England at Victoria Falls
England will be offered the chance of a winter tour to Zimbabwe before 2031, with a new ground near Victoria Falls earmarked as the likely venue.Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) officials have used this week's one-off Test at Trent Bridge to strengthen relations with their counterparts at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).The possibility of a bilateral series on Zimbabwean soil in the next cycle of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) from 2027 to 2031 has been raised during talks between senior figures of the two boards.England have not played in the country since four one-day internationals in 2004, after cricket ties were severed in 2008 for political reasons.Discussions are at a very early stage and there is no indication as to the format, or the number of matches, but sources have told BBC Sport they are "very optimistic" an agreement can be reached.A bilateral white-ball series would appear the most likely option, but a one-off Test - potentially as a precursor to a longer Test tour of nearby South Africa - might hold more appeal to travelling England supporters.The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has been present at Trent Bridge, where they have been actively promoting the country as a holiday destination.ZC is currently overseeing the construction of a new ground near Victoria Falls, named the Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium, which it hopes will be a draw to visiting fans because of its location close to the waterfalls and safari excursions.The 10,000-seater venue is being built with financial support from the International Cricket Council (ICC), at a cost between £4m and £8m, for the 2027 50-over World Cup which Zimbabwe is co-hosting with South Africa and Namibia.ECB chief executive Richard Gould was among the delegates at a recent ICC board meeting in Zimbabwe which included a visit to Victoria Falls.It is possible England could play in Zimbabwe at the 2027 World Cup, with the ICC yet to determine the schedule.
Why have England not played Zimbabwe for so long?
Political unrest in Zimbabwe under the regime led of former president Robert Mugabe caused problems for England's men's team throughout the 2000s.England boycotted their fixture against Zimbabwe in Harare at the 2003 World Cup.England travelled to Zimbabwe for a one-day series in 2004, but were under pressure to cancel Zimbabwe's 2009 tour of England before the government intervened in June 2008 to sever cricketing ties.Zimbabwe withdrew from the 2009 T20 World Cup in England.England have played only three two-Test series against Zimbabwe, and the ECB is covering Zimbabwe's tour fee for the Trent Bridge Test.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Trump travel ban barring citizens from 12 countries goes into effect
Donald Trump's new ban on travel to the US by citizens of a dozen countries, mainly in Africa and the Middle East, went into effect at 12am ET on Monday, more than eight years after Trump's first travel ban sparked chaos, confusion, and months of legal battles. The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, 'fully' restricts the nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the US. The entry of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted. Unlike Trump's first travel ban in 2017, which initially targeted citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and was criticized as an unconstitutional 'Muslim ban', the new ban is broader, and legal experts said they expect it to withstand legal challenges. The announcement of the new travel ban was greeted with less outrage and protest than his initial 2017 ban. On Monday, the new ban appeared to be overshadowed by Trump's other immigration battles, including furious protests in Los Angeles over Trump's deportation raids, which were followed by Trump deploying the national guard to the city despite the opposition of California's governor. The newly instituted ban notably includes citizens of Haiti, a majority Christian country. Haitians in the US were demonized by Trump during his presidential campaign, with the president spreading the baseless conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating people's pets. It also imposes heightened travel restrictions on citizens of Venezuela, who have been targeted repeatedly by the White House in recent months, as the Trump administration's sudden deportation of Venezuelans in the US to a notorious prison in El Salvador sparked a massive legal battle. The ban is also expected to have a disproportionate effect on African countries, with some citizens of targeted countries worrying about being cut off from opportunities for education, professional development, and networking. Mikhail Nyamweya, a political and foreign affairs analyst, previously told the Guardian that the new travel bans and restrictions would 'bring about a pattern of exclusion' and 'may also institutionalise a perception of Africans as outsiders in the global order'. 'This policy is not about national security – it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,' Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, a nonprofit international relief organization, said. While five of the countries on the new ban list are not majority-Muslim, including Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Eritrea and Equatorial Guinea, as well as Haiti, the list does target citizens of non-white countries in the developing world, fueling criticisms that the ban is fundamentally racist and shaped by 'bigotry'. Trump's first travel ban, in 2017, was widely criticized as a fulfillment of Trump's campaign pledge to institute 'a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States'. The Trump administration later added citizens of other non-Muslim countries to the banned list. The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all US diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting Monday. Travelers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the US even after the ban takes effect. In a video posted Wednesday on social media, Trump said nationals of countries included in the ban pose 'terrorism-related' and 'public-safety' risks, as well as risks of overstaying their visas. He also said some of these countries had 'deficient' screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their citizens. Trump also tied the new ban to a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado that wounded a dozen people, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. US officials say the alleged perpetrator overstayed a tourist visa. The man charged in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. The Associated Press contributed reporting
The Independent
20 hours ago
- The Independent
Starmer aid cuts ‘threaten UK's reputation and credibility' abroad, Foreign Office admits
Sir Keir Starmer 's foreign aid cuts have put Britain's international reputation and credibility at risk, the government has admitted. The prime minister 's decision to slash development spending from 0.5 per cent of GDP to 0.3 per cent - around £6bn - has sparked alarm among leaders in Africa and around the world, a Foreign Office document has revealed. Responses to David Lammy 's 'new approach to Africa' consultation show among high commissioners and ambassadors in 51 countries - including 40 in Africa - concerns were raised about the implications of international aid cuts 'on the UK's reputation and credibility'. And, after international development minister Baroness Jennifer Chapman admitted the aid cuts will hit education programmes, the consultation found concerns among African leaders that 'the largest return on investment [through aid spending] in terms of equity is in basic education'. The consultation was aimed at building a new relationship between the UK and Africa 'rooted in mutual respect, and reflecting how Africa, the UK and the world have changed'. As well as the high commissions in Africa and 11 other countries, it consulted more than 90 non-governmental organisations, academics and think tanks. The responses fuelled concerns that Sir Keir's decision to slash the aid budget - to fund an increase in Britain's defence spending - will prove a false economy and erode Britain's soft power around the world. It comes after dire warnings about the devastating impact similar cuts to US overseas aid made by Donald Trump will have. The Independent last month revealed his slashing of foreign aid has derailed the projected end of the Aids pandemic and could lead to four million extra deaths by 2030. It also follows a backlash among Labour MPs to Sir Keir's aid cuts, with international development minister Anneliese Dodds resigning in protest over the move. Responding to the consultation, Sarah Champion, chairwoman of the International Development Committee, said it is 'a tragedy that David Lammy 's attempts to craft a new partnership with Africa will be undermined by a 40 per cent cut to the development budget'. The senior Labour MP added: 'Cuts on this scale, stopping the essential programmes we promised to fund, will inevitably rebound on the UK and our standing abroad.' She has previously written to the prime minister, Rachel Reeves and Mr Lammy warning that the cuts 'will have dire consequences for millions of marginalised people across the world'. Meanwhile, former Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell told The Independent: 'The truth is that the whole sector is horrified that a Labour government - especially that it's a Labour government - would slash an already diminished budget in this way ' The Tory MP said: 'Effectively, we are now spending more development money in UK postal districts than in Africa. And this muddled thinking and cash-strapped policy area now means the UK will be less effective at diminishing grinding poverty, which I thought Labour cared about, but also less secure at home because UK development policies are the other side of the defence coin. 'Highly effective British soft power is now being degraded and reduced in an ill-thought-through and random way. We will come very much to regret it ' A government spokesman said: 'The UK's education offer is world-leading, and we continue to do all we can within the tough fiscal circumstances to promote and advance high-quality education globally. 'This means targeting our funding to support the best multilateral programmes, working with governments to strengthen their own education systems, and sharing our expertise and technical assistance to boost access and quality of education in developing countries. difficult decisions will have to be made but our commitment to action remains steadfast.'
The Independent
21 hours ago
- The Independent
Chad to suspend visas for US citizens in response to Trump's travel ban
Chad has announced it will suspend issuing visas to U.S. citizens, retaliating against the Trump administration's ban on Chadians visiting the United States. The decision follows Trump's announcement of a visa ban on 12 countries, including Chad, citing "deficient" screening and vetting processes and a history of refusing to repatriate citizens who overstay in the U.S. The new ban targets Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. There will also be heightened restrictions on visitors from seven others in the new travel policy, which takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. In a Facebook post, Chad's president on Thursday said he is directing his government to suspend visas to U.S. citizens 'in accordance with the principles of reciprocity.' 'Chad has no planes to offer, no billions of dollars to give but Chad has his dignity and pride,' Deby said, referring to the $400 million luxury plane offered to his administration as a gift by the ruling family of Qatar. The new travel policy has triggered varied reactions from Africa, whose countries make up seven of the 12 countries affected by Trump's outright visa ban with some exemptions. In the Republic of Congo, government spokesperson Thierry Moungalla said he believes the country was among those affected because of a 'misunderstanding' over an armed attack in the U.S. with the perpetrators 'mistaken' to be from the Republic of Congo. 'Obviously, Congo is not a terrorist country, is not home to any terrorist, is not known to have a terrorist vocation. So we think that this is a misunderstanding and I believe that in the coming hours, the competent diplomatic services of the government will contact the American authorities here,' he said in the capital of Brazzaville. In Sierra Leone, among countries with heightened travel restrictions, Information Minister Chernor Bah said the country is committed to addressing the concerns that prompted the ban. 'We will work with U.S. authorities to ensure progress,' he added.
