On Sunday, March 28, 2021, Zimbabwe Cricket announced the schedule for the visiting Pakistan team and confirmed that the two teams will play 2 Tests and 3 T20I matches during the period between April-May 2021.
The three T20I series will begin on April 21 and will be followed by the two Tests with all the matches being played behind closed doors, with no fans in the stadium keeping the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic concerns in mind. All five fixtures of Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe
will be played at Harare Sports Club.
Our Cricket Sides Have Always Enjoyed Visiting And Playing Cricket In Zimbabwe: Pakistan Cricket Board
The T20I will be played on April 21, 23, and 25, while the first Test will start on 29 April and the second Test will begin on May 7. The decision to play all five matches behind closed doors was taken after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was postponed due to several players involved testing positive for the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a statement on the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board has been at the forefront of the revival of international cricket in the post-Covid-19 world and the tour of Zimbabwe is another step in that direction. We have always maintained that cricket and Covid-19 can co-exist in a safe and secure environment, and we continue to demonstrate this to ensure the game develops and flourishes in these difficult and challenging times,” PCB’s director of international cricket, said on Sunday.
ANNOUNCEMENT | TOUR SCHEDULE @ZimCricketv will host @TheRealPCB in April-May for two Test matches and three T20I games.
All the matches will be played at Harare Sports Club, with no spectators allowed in the stadium.#ZIMvPAK | #VisitZimbabwe | #BowlOutCovid19 pic.twitter.com/KgrwiOR3hW
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) March 28, 2021
“The tour of our men’s side at the back of our women’s team first-ever visit of Zimbabwe is a testimony that the two boards – the PCB and Zimbabwe Cricket – enjoy excellent relations and are always ready to lend support to each other.
Our cricket sides have always enjoyed visiting and playing cricket in Zimbabwe, and though our fans and followers will be unable to watch live-action, I am sure they will continue to support both the sides and their favourite cricketers like they have done since May 2020 through digital media,” he added.
Zimbabwe had toured Pakistan last year for a full-fledged white-ball contest in October-November with the hosts winning both the ODIs and T20I series.