The New Zealand cricket team played a controversial tour of Zimbabwe in August and September 2005, including some warm-up matches in Namibia. They played two Test matches against Zimbabwe, and also participated in a triangular One Day International competition with Zimbabwe and India.

Background

Concerns overs human rights violations in Zimbabwe, in particular the slum clearances known as Operation Murambatsvina, prompted calls by the New Zealand's Green Party and human rights advocates including Amnesty International for the cricket team to boycott the tour. The New Zealand Government made it clear that the scheduled return visit of the Zimbabwean cricket team to New Zealand in December 2005 would not occur as entry to New Zealand would be denied to the Zimbabwean players.

The Black Caps were obliged to tour by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and faced a fine of over NZ$3 million if they did not tour. The ICC was asked to waive this fine but refused. It was also claimed that a withdrawal from the tour would greatly harm New Zealand's chances of co-hosting the 2011 World Cup with a potential loss of $NZ20 million. Two opinion polls showed a majority of New Zealanders opposed the tour. The TVNZ/Colmar Brunton poll taken on 30 June found 77 percent opposed, and a Fairfax New Zealand/ACNielsen poll on 18 July showed 53 percent opposed, (NZ Herald). Parliament voted with a substantial majority on 26 July to ask the Black Caps to abandon the tour. Only ACT and the Māori Party voted against the resolution. A month ahead of the tour, New Zealand Cricket and the players were unanimous in their decision of willing to tour.

The two Tests against Zimbabwe were being followed by a tri-nations One Day International (ODI) series, with India making up the threesome.

Schedule (Zimbabwe leg)

  • 4 August : Practice match in Harare
  • 7 August: First Test starts (Harare)
  • 15 August: Second Test starts (Bulawayo)
  • 24 August: 1st ODI New Zealand v Zimbabwe (Bulawayo)
  • 26 August: 2nd ODI India v New Zealand (Bulawayo)
  • 29 August: 3rd ODI Zimbabwe v India (Harare)
  • 31 August: 4th ODI New Zealand v Zimbabwe (Harare)
  • 2 September: 5th ODI New Zealand v India (Harare)
  • 4 September: 6th ODI Zimbabwe v India (Harare)
  • 6 September: Final (Harare)

Squads

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:auto"

|-

!

!

|- style="vertical-align:top"

|

  • Tatenda Taibu (c, wk)
  • Heath Streak (vc)
  • Andy Blignaut
  • Stuart Carlisle
  • Graeme Cremer
  • Keith Dabengwa
  • Dion Ebrahim
  • Neil Ferreira
  • Anthony Ireland
  • Blessing Mahwire
  • Hamilton Masakadza
  • Chris Mpofu
  • Brendan Taylor
  • Craig Wishart

|

  • Stephen Fleming (c)
  • Daniel Vettori (vc)
  • Nathan Astle
  • Craig Cumming
  • Lou Vincent
  • Hamish Marshall
  • Scott Styris
  • James Marshall
  • Brendon McCullum (wk)
  • Jacob Oram
  • Kyle Mills
  • James Franklin
  • Shane Bond
  • Chris Martin
  • Paul Wiseman

|}

The New Zealand squad for the tour was announced on 22 June 2005. Shane Bond, who was out of international cricket for two years owing to a back injury, made both Test and ODI squads. Daryl Tuffey and Chris Harris were excluded after failing to recover from their injuries. Spinner Jeetan Patel was the only new inclusion to either team; he made the ODI squad.

| team1 =

| team2 =

| score-team1-inns1 = 452/9d (89 overs)

| runs-team1-inns1 = Daniel Vettori 127 (98)

| wickets-team1-inns1 = Blessing Mahwire 3/115 (26 overs)

| score-team2-inns1 = 59 (29.4 overs)

| runs-team2-inns1 = Stuart Carlisle 20* (66)

| wickets-team2-inns1 = James Franklin 3/11 (5 overs)

| score-team1-inns2 =

| runs-team1-inns2 =

| wickets-team1-inns2 =

| score-team2-inns2 = 99 (49.5 overs) (f/o)

| runs-team2-inns2 = Hamilton Masakadza 42 (79)

| wickets-team2-inns2 = Daniel Vettori 4/28 (13.5 overs)

| result = New Zealand won by an innings and 294 runs

| report = Scorecard

| venue = Harare Sports Club, Harare

| umpires = Mark Benson (Eng) and Darrell Hair (Aus)

| motm = Daniel Vettori (NZ)

| toss = Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field.

| rain =

| notes =Neil Ferreira (Zim) made his Test debut.

  • Zimbabwe batsman Chris Mpofu recorded identical dismissals in both innings – stumped by Brendon McCullum off the bowling of Daniel Vettori for a duck, after facing 7 deliveries.
  • Zimbabwe became only the second team to be dismissed twice in a single day's play since India in 1952.

Second Test

One-day internationals

Please see Videocon Tri-Series 2005 for a full treatment of the one-day international matches with Zimbabwe and India.

Notes

References

  • Tour home at ESPNcricinfo
  • Black Caps start tour with win over Namibia, 1 August 2005, retrieved 2 August
  • Black Caps thrash Namibia in 2nd match, 1 August 2005, retrieved 2 August
  • Curran to take over as Zim coach, 17 August 2005, retrieved 18 August
  • Scorecards linked to within text
  • Curran confirmed as Zimbabwe coach, Reuters, 18 August 2005