Zimbabwe recall Brendan Taylor and Graeme Cremer as Australia open their ODI tour in Harare

Sikandar Raza will captain a Zimbabwe side carrying two long-absent names into the first ODI against Australia at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday

The three-match series begins on 15 September and forms the first half of a six-game African tour for Australia, who move on to three ODIs in South Africa afterwards. All three matches against Zimbabwe are at Harare Sports Club, starting at 9.30am local time.

It is Australia's first ODI visit to Zimbabwe in more than a decade, and both sides arrive with next year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in mind. Zimbabwe co-host that tournament with South Africa and Namibia, and Harare Sports Club is among the grounds due to stage matches.

Zimbabwe have named a 15-man squad that returns Brendan Taylor and Graeme Cremer to the fifty-over side. Australia travel without Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, who join the tour only for the South Africa leg.

Raza steps in for the injured Ngarava

Raza leads the side because regular captain Richard Ngarava is still recovering from a lower-back injury. It is the second change forced on the selectors, with seamer Tanaka Chivanga sidelined by an Achilles tendon problem.

Wicketkeeper-batter Clive Madande is unavailable after featuring in Zimbabwe's most recent ODI assignment, against Bangladesh in July.

Blessing Muzarabani leads the pace attack, supported by Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri and Ernest Masuku. Brian Bennett, Ben Curran and Innocent Kaia are the main top-order options alongside Craig Ervine.

Taylor and Cremer return after long gaps

Taylor last appeared in an ODI against Sri Lanka in August 2025 and is expected to share wicketkeeping duties with Tadiwanashe Marumani.

Cremer, a former Zimbabwe captain who has recovered from an arm injury, is in line for his first ODI since 2018. The leg-spinner and Wellington Masakadza are the squad's specialist slow bowlers, with Ryan Burl and Wessly Madhevere offering further all-round options.

Their recalls, alongside Raza and Ervine, give a young batting group a core of players who have been through this sort of series before.

Marsh leads an Australia side without its senior quicks

Mitchell Marsh captains in Harare, with Cummins — Australia's designated ODI captain — returning for the matches in South Africa.

"This six-game series is an important lead-in to next year's World Cup, being played in the same countries, for the group," selection chief George Bailey said when the squad was announced. "As such it's great to have Mitch (Marsh), Travis and Josh returning, then Pat and Mitch (Starc) for the SA leg."

Marnus Labuschagne was left out after averaging 21.87 across his most recent 18 ODI innings, while Cooper Connolly travels having not bowled since March because of back trouble, though selectors expect him to be available.

Neither side arrives in form

Zimbabwe have played only three ODIs this calendar year, taking a series 2-1 against Bangladesh in July.

Australia have lost their past two ODI series by the same margin, to Pakistan and Bangladesh in June, although both were contested by under-strength squads. Marsh, Travis Head and Josh Inglis all missed those matches and come back for this tour.

Australia's record in Harare reads seven wins and 10 defeats, a return that owes something to how rarely they have played there since Michael Clarke and Aaron Finch made centuries at the ground in 2014.

A World Cup venue under inspection

For Zimbabwe the value of the series is the opposition. Fixtures against the leading full members have been scarce, and the 2027 tournament will bring several of them to Harare within a year.

For Australia it is a first look at conditions that will decide part of their World Cup, with Adam Zampa preferred to left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann for the African pitches.

The second and third ODIs follow at Harare Sports Club on Friday and Sunday, after which Australia move on to South Africa for the second half of their tour.

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