Beginning on January 12 at the Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe will host Ireland for a three-match T20I series followed by the same number of ODI matches. It's interesting to note that the teams haven't competed in international cricket since the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
As a result, this series is their first challenge following the major event in Australia. However, some of the major players will be missed by both teams as they are expected to participate in other countries' domestic competitions.
One of them is the seasoned hitter Paul Stirling, who will not participate in the series because he will play in the upcoming ILT20, while Josh Little will make an impact in the SA20 in 2023. Sikandar Raza, the top all-rounder for Zimbabwe, will play in the ILT20 rather than the Ireland series. Blessing Muzarabani, one of Zimbabwe's top pacers, is also currently recovering from an injury and will be out of action.
The two teams have played nine T20I head-to-head matches, with Ireland holding a slight advantage with five victories to Zimbabwe's four. Both sides have won seven games in 16 meetings, with one tie and one no-result, putting them even in the 50-over format.
T20I Squads:
Zimbabwe : Craig Ervine (C), Gary Ballance, Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sean Williams
Ireland : Andy Balbirnie (C), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Tyrone Kane, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White