Following the conclusion of the tri-series at the Harare Sports Club, New Zealand has started their two-match test series against Zimbabwe on July 30 (Wednesday) and will continue to play till August 11 (Monday).
The Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo will host both test matches. Moreover, this red-ball series marks the first clash between New Zealand and Zimbabwe since 2016.
However, for the unknown fanatics, this series between these two nations wouldn’t be a part of the current World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. Surprisingly, New Zealand hasn’t yet started its campaign in the ongoing fourth cycle of the WTC.
Why is New Zealand’s Red Ball Tour of Zimbabwe not part of the ICC WTC 2025-27 Cycle?
As per the rules formulated by the International Cricket Council (ICC), only the teams that secure a spot in the top nine of the ICC’s test rankings would gain the eligibility to be a part of the WTC cycle. This concept was introduced since the WTC’s inaugural cycle back in 2019-21.
Currently, Zimbabwe is ranked 12th in the ICC men’s test rankings and does not feature among the top nine teams participating in the WTC 2025-27 cycle.
Most importantly, the ICC is yet to increase the number of participating teams in the forthcoming WTC cycles. So, this has been the main reason why test-playing nations like Zimbabwe, along with Ireland and Afghanistan, aren’t part of the fourth WTC cycle.
As of now, Australia, Sri Lanka, England, India, Bangladesh, the West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa are the nine teams that are part of the ICC’s World Test Championship.
So, it is understood that the two test matches in the ongoing series between Zimbabwe and New Zealand will be considered as official contests, but won’t be added to the records of this WTC cycle.
When Will New Zealand Start their WTC 2025-27 Campaign?
The inaugural cycle champions New Zealand will start its new WTC campaign in the 3-match test series at home against the West Indies later this year December.
As per the Black Caps Future Tour Programs (FTP) till 2027, their forthcoming tour of Ireland, where they will play the one-off test match, won’t be considered in the WTC cycle.
So, New Zealand’s campaign in WTC 2025-27 consists of five test series against these teams:
| Month and Year | Series | Opponent Team | Home / Away |
| December 2025 | 3-match Test Series | West Indies | Home |
| June 2026 | 3-match Test Series | England | Away |
| October to November 2026 | 2-match Test Series | India | Home |
| December 2026 to January 2027 | 4-match Test Series | Australia | Away |
| March 2027 | 2-match Test Series | Pakistan | Away |
| TOTAL | 14 Test Matches (in WTC 2025-27) | Against 5 Teams | 5 Test Series (Home: 2, and Away: 3) |
Zimbabwe vs New Zealand Head-to-Head Records in Tests
Out of 17 test matches, New Zealand holds an unbeaten record by securing 11 wins (Home Matches: 3 Wins, Away Matches: 8 Wins) and 6 draws against Zimbabwe since 1992. After eight years, once again, these two teams are set to face off each other in a high-octane clash.
Teams That Haven’t Started Their WTC 2025-27 Campaign?
As of 31st July 2025, three test-playing nations, such as South Africa, New Zealand, and Pakistan, haven’t yet started their campaign in the fourth cycle of the WTC.
Pakistan hasn’t played a single test series in this cycle so far. But, South Africa and New Zealand have already started playing a test match after the commencement of the WTC 2025-27.
Although South Africa triumphed over Zimbabwe 2-0 in the 2-match test series, their wins wouldn’t be added to the current WTC points table. Likewise, New Zealand’s win or loss in the ongoing test series against Zimbabwe won’t impact their points and net-run-rate in the existing WTC rankings.
Updated Rankings of Teams in WTC 2025-27 Points Table
The following table illustrates the rankings of those six out of nine teams in the WTC 2025-27 points table that have already begun their campaign in the new cycle:
| Rankings | Team | Performance | Points and PCT |
| 1. | Australia | 3 Matches (Wins: 3, Losses: 0, Draws: 0) | 36 Points and 100 PCT |
| 2. | Sri Lanka | 2 Matches (Wins: 1, Losses: 0, Draws: 1) | 16 Points and 66.67 PCT |
| 3. | England | 4 Matches (Wins: 2, Losses: 1, Draws: 1) | 26 Points and 54.17 PCT |
| 4. | India | 4 Matches (Wins: 1, Losses: 2, Draws: 1) | 16 Points and 33.33 PCT |
| 5. | Bangladesh | 2 Matches (Wins: 0, Losses: 1, Draws: 1) | 4 Points and 16.67 PCT |
| 6. | West Indies | 3 Matches (Wins: 0, Losses: 3, Draws: 0) | – |
As per the above rankings in WTC 2025-27, the winning teams were awarded 12 points, whereas both teams will claim 4 points each if the match concludes draw.
So far, there haven’t been any tied contests in this cycle, but if there had been, both teams would have received 6 points each.
It has been one and a half months since the commencement of the fourth WTC cycle. But Australia and Sri Lanka are the only unbeaten sides, having claimed the top two positions respectively. Whereas teams like England, India, Bangladesh, and the West Indies have experienced the essence of loss and would aim to bounce back stronger.
Conclusion
New Zealand will have to wait a few more months to start their new WTC campaign, where they will host the West Indies in a multi-format series at home (5 T20Is, 3 ODIs, and 3 Tests) this year’s November and December. However, they will have a busy schedule in the second half of 2026, playing their next 9 test matches against competitive teams like England, India, and Australia
