Zimbabwe’s UAE tour: Afghan spin is the biggest test across three formats

Zimbabwe have announced their white-ball squads for a demanding multi-format tour of the UAE, running from 17 October to 17 November. The tour includes an ODI tri-series involving Afghanistan and Bangladesh, three T20Is against Afghanistan, and two Tests against Afghanistan. Zimbabwe have retained the core group from their recent white-ball series against Australia, signalling stability over experimentation. The venues — Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah — are slow, low and spin-friendly, which maximises Afghanistan’s strength. Afghanistan effectively treat the UAE as home, having staged most of their ‘home’ fixtures there for a decade. Bangladesh are the third side in the ODI tri-series, where net run rate and rotation could prove decisive. Notably, no Test squad was announced, raising questions about Zimbabwe’s red-ball planning. The contrarian view: Afghanistan’s Test cricket remains relatively new, so the two-match Test series gives Zimbabwe a genuine chance for a signature result. The deeper story is not that Zimbabwe may struggle; it is that the cricketing world stopped watching. The Test squad announcement, pitch reports, and dew/toss dynamics will determine whether this tour becomes a footnote or a fresh start.