Ngarava to lead Zimbabwe in one-off Test against Bangladesh

Richard Ngarava will lead Zimbabwe for the first time in Test cricket when they face Bangladesh in the one-off game at the Harare Sports Club, beginning on June 28.

Zimbabwe Cricket on Tuesday (June 23) announced a 15-member squad for the fixture, with Sikandar Raza being the notable absentee after being granted permission to continue his commitments with Worcestershire in England's T20 Blast.

Zimbabwe squad:Richard Ngarava (Captain), Brian Bennett, Tanaka Chivanga, Graeme Cremer, Ben Curran, Craig Ervine, Brad Evans, Innocent Kaia, Roy Kaia, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri, Brendan Taylor, Tafadzwa Tsiga.

This will be Zimbabwe's first Test since their victory against Afghanistan in October 2025. Ngarava impressed with a five-wicket haul in that game, while Ben Curran's century and Brad Evans' five-for also played key roles in the dominant win by an innings and 73 runs.

Meanwhile, the squad for the Test against Bangladesh features five players who were not part of the Afghanistan Test. Innocent Kaia, Graeme Cremer, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wessly Madhevere and Newman Nyamhuri have all been recalled after strong performances in domestic and representative cricket.

Zimbabwe and Bangladesh last met in a two-Test series in Bangladesh in April-May last year, with the teams sharing the honours. Zimbabwe secured a three-wicket victory in the opening Test - their first win in the format in four years - before Bangladesh bounced back to level the series in the second game.