The ICC is funding Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) to construct a new multi-sport stadium near the scenic Victoria Falls, a tourist hotspot in the country. Per the latest reports, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently laid the foundation stone for a 10,000-seater ambitious cricket stadium, which, once ready, will be the most picturesque venue in the world.

Set to be named Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium, this new ground will host several global events in 2026 and 2027, as Zimbabwe will co-host the 2026 Under-19 World Cup with Namibia, while South Africa will join the two nations in staging the 2027 ODI World Cup.

As reported by Cricbuzz, the government has allocated 10 hectares of land for this project, the construction cost of which will vary between $5 and $10 million. The ICC, however, said they will not provide any extra funding for any specific project beyond this. 

This newly-built stadium will be a multi-sport facility and host several sports like rugby, hockey and netball.

“The location of this stadium in this city will undoubtedly contribute to the speedy attainment of tourism sector targets and towards our national development aspirations as outlined in the National Development Strategy Vision 2030,” President Mnangagwa said while laying the foundation stone.

After admitting that their stadiums are not up to the international stature, President Mnangagwa vows to provide the fans with a world-class experience by putting in extra yards in preparation for this new stadium.

“As Zimbabwe Cricket, we are the first to admit that our stadiums are no longer adequate, we had to lock out some fans during the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers, but that’s not what we want to do. We want to have as many people to access our grounds, and we want their experience to be awesome when they come into the grounds.

“So, work is already underway, and as you are aware, we will be co-hosting the 2027 men’s World Cup, and before that, we are also hosting the next edition of the Under 19 World Cup together with Namibia, so these are massive tournaments and we are working to improve our facilities for more global tournaments,” ZC media and communication manager Darlington Majonga was quoted in the Coliseum website as saying.

“Work is progressing very well, a lot of earthmoving has been happening. The levelling of the academy pitch and the main pitch is progressing very well. The facility has been fenced, a site establishment has also been done, boreholes have been drilled, and a water reservoir has also been established. There is good progress so far, we are impressed by what is on the ground,” ZC managing director Givemore Makoni was quoted in an FB post recently.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Cricket is undergoing its lowest phase. After failing to qualify for the 2019 and 2023 World Cup, Zimbabwe lost their 2024 T20 World Cup (in the Americas) spot to a far-lower-ranked team, Uganda.  

(With inputs from agencies)