Zimbabwe Cricket on Wednesday announced that they will host Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series, to be played in Harare later this month, marking a return of red-ball cricket in the country. Zimbabwe last played a Test match in November 2018 against Bangladesh in a two-match series.

TEST SERIES: @ZimCricketv will host @OfficialSLC for two Test matches in Harare this month. The first match is scheduled for 19-23 January, with the second match set for 27-31 January. Both matches will be played at Harare Sports Club #ZIMvSL pic.twitter.com/QRnPMxfGXY

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— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) January 8, 2020

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“We know our home conditions better, our players are getting match-fit and enjoying some game time. So all we have to do is to get in the middle and perform. We have not had much game time, so the players will be very keen and eager to seize this opportunity and do well,” Zimbabwe coach Lalchand Rajput was quoted as saying by ICC.

Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka last played each other in all whites back in July 2017 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The hosts had come on top and won the match by four wickets after registering the highest successful chase in Asia.

“Sri Lanka are always a very competitive team who have been playing well and I am looking forward to the Test series. For us, it’s a new beginning, a new chapter, and it’s good that we are starting off with the long version which always brings the best out of players,” Rajput added.

Zimbabwe’s preparation for the Test series will begin with a 10-day camp featuring the top performers of the Logan Cup, the domestic first-class competition. The coach said, “t’s important to have players performing well in first-class cricket and I am happy that in the Logan Cup we have players who have scored centuries and taken five wickets and more.”

“This bodes well for our preparations and it’s always good to have players who are match-fit and in good nick. During our 10-day camp, we will attend to a few issues, including the processes, as we fine-tune our team ahead of the series,” he added.

This will also be Zimbabwe’s first Test series after they were readmitted as the full member of the International Cricket Council. Earlier, the African cricket nation was suspended from ICC events because of political interference in its cricket board.