Zimbabwe-Bangladesh series in Bulawayo to mark the return of spectators

The three-match ODI series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh to be played at the Queens Sports club in Bulawayo will mark the return of crowds to cricket grounds in Zimbabwe for the first time since January 2020 when Zimbabwe's men's team played Sri Lanka. 1000 fully vaccinated fans will be permitted to watch the matches from the venue and will require to produce their vaccination cards. Spectators will be required to wear masks and follow physical distancing norms and other Covid-related protocols.



"We have been missing the excitement and energy that fans bring to the game of cricket and we will be thrilled to safely welcome them for the first time in nearly two years as we host Bangladesh Women at Queens Sports Club in November," Givemore Makoni, managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, said.



The matches will be held on November 10, 12 and 15 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.



This will be Bangladesh's first international assignment since the T20 World Cup in February-March 2020. Their last competitive assignment came in April this year when they played South Africa Emerging in a five-match one-day series at home. However, that series too was cut short, with the fifth match cancelled following a Covid-19 induced lockdown that meant the hosts had "to accommodate the visiting side's return home before the suspension of international flight operations".



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Bangladesh, however, have been training regularly since August this year, also playing a few domestic tournaments.



Zimbabwe, on the other hand, have played plenty of cricket in recent months, taking on Thailand in a one-day and T20I series before the " rel="noopener noreferrer">T20 World Cup Africa regional qualifiers in Botswana. Following that, they played their maiden ODI series against Ireland earlier this month.



Both teams will use the series as preparation for the ODI World Cup global qualifiers in Harare beginning on November 21. That tournament will see them compete against eight other sides - West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and United States of America - to book one of three remaining spots for the ICC Women's World Cup in New Zealand next year.



Fixtures:

10 November - 1st ODI, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

12 November - 2nd ODI, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

15 November - 3rd ODI, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo