Cricket: Zimbabwe return to Test on 2011

Zimbabwe target return to Test cricket after World Cup

Brendan Taylor's batting is one of the positive factors in Zimbabwe cricket

Zimbabwe will play a home Test series against Bangladesh in May 2011 following a positive meeting with the International Cricket Council.

Chairman Peter Chingoka said: "We are developing a strong and competitive domestic competition as a result of the ICC task team's recommendations.

"We are now looking to make a gradual return to Test cricket after the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011."

Zimbabwe last played a Test against India in Harare in September 2005.

Chigoka added: "We will resume our Test commitments against Bangladesh at home in May 2011. We aim to make cricket the number one sport in Zimbabwe within the next five years."

Cricket in Zimbabwe has plunged from one crisis to another for much of the past 10 years.

606: DEBATE Seems Zimbabwe is taking advantage of playing at home to post some great results. May the rebuilding continue ZimbabweanGunner1

In April 2004, Heath Streak was sacked as captain and when 15 white players also lost their jobs for backing Streak, the ICC investigated the Zimbabwe Cricket Union on the grounds of racism.

Though they found no wrongdoing, the extended crisis threatened the future of the game in the troubled southern African nation.

A self-imposed one-year suspension from Test cricket followed, but when Zimbabwe came back they were, if anything, even weaker and chaos at home continued.

In recent months, improvements have been noticeable in the one-day arena. They beat India twice and Sri Lanka once en route to last Wednesday's triangular series final in Harare, in which they were beaten by nine wickets after losing an important toss.

ICC president David Morgan said: "I take great pleasure in the number of smiling faces around Zimbabwe Cricket. It is very comforting for the ICC to observe the improvement and success of the Zimbabwe team in recent months."