Zimbabwe will become the first International Cricket Council (ICC) full member, in four years, to tour the Netherlands when they play three One Day International matches against the Dutch team in July.
The tour has already been described as ‘’significant’’ by the hosts.
The visit, the first by a full member country since South Africa played an ODI in Amstelveen in 2013, were announced through Twitter by Zimbabwe Cricket and the Netherlands Cricket Board through their respective accounts on Wednesday.
The three matches are scheduled for 20, 22 and 24 June and are part of Chevron’s European tour which will also take them to Edinburgh for two ODIs against Scotland.
Zimbabwe, currently ranked 11th among ODI countries – below Afghanistan and just above Ireland – are almost certain to be involved in the final qualifying process for the 2019 World Cup, and the Dutch will join them if, as now seems almost certain, they finish in the top four of the Championship.
The recovery of the Netherlands side from the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2015 World Cup and losing ODI status at the same time is one of the under-heralded success stories of international cricket, and after Papua New Guinea dropped two vital points in the UAE last month they are in the driving seat of the WCL Championship with four matches to go.
A Zimbabwe XI played in Amstelveen in 2010, losing a one-day game by 58 runs but then going on to a comfortable win in the Intercontinental Cup match which followed.
