Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan Test to Go DRS‑Free Amid Budget Woes

When Craig Ervine, captain of the Zimbabwe national cricket team stepped onto the field at Harare Sports Club on October 20, 2025, he knew the match would be unlike any other recent Test. The Decision Review System – or DRS – would be missing entirely, a reality confirmed the day before by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) amid tight finances and technical short‑falls at the venue.

Why the DRS is absent

The board’s spokesperson told reporters, “After careful consideration of our budgetary allocations for this series, we have determined that implementing the DRS system for the one‑off Test would place undue financial strain on our operations.” In plain English, the cost of installing Hawk‑Eye ball‑tracking, UltraEdge sound‑detection and the requisite replay infrastructure simply didn’t fit into ZC’s 2025 financial plan, even after receiving a US$1.5 million assistance package from the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier in March.

The ICC’s policy, last updated in 2022, permits host boards to decide whether DRS will be available for bilateral series, provided the opposing side and the ICC are notified at least 90 days in advance. Zimbabwe met that deadline, so the match proceeds under the traditional rule‑only system, meaning every umpiring call will be final.

Context: The Afghanistan tour of Zimbabwe 2025

The Test is the curtain‑raiser for a broader tour that runs until November 2, 2025. After the five‑day match, three Twenty20 Internationals are slated for October 29, 31 and November 2 – all at the same Harare venue. Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, will lead his side through the limited‑overs leg, hoping to bounce back after a mixed previous season.

Both teams have a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh faces. Zimbabwe’s lineup includes long‑time stalwart Sean Williams, fast‑bowling spearhead Blessing Muzarabani, and debutant Antum Naqvi, the 28‑year‑old Belgium‑born batsman who qualified through residency. Afghanistan’s squad features prolific opener Rahmat Shah and spin wizard Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Financial strains and past DRS usage

Zimbabwe has only enjoyed DRS in 12 of its 104 Test matches to date, most of them against Full Member nations on home soil. The last time the board skipped DRS was during the 2023‑24 home series against Bangladesh, citing similar budget limits. The recurring theme underscores a broader challenge: smaller cricketing nations often juggle player welfare, travel costs, and venue upgrades with limited revenue streams.

According to a report by the Daily Sun, ZC’s operating deficit for the 2024‑25 fiscal year stood at roughly US$2.3 million, prompting the board to prioritize essential logistics over high‑tech upgrades. The decision to forgo DRS, while unpopular with some purists, aligns with ZC’s stated focus on “overall series management and player welfare.”

Implications for players and fans

Without the safety net of a review, bowlers like Muzarabani will have to rely even more on accuracy and intuition, while batsmen such as Naqvi will face fewer chances to overturn close LBW calls. The atmosphere at Harare Sports Club is expected to be electric – the stadium, a cricketing hub since 1993, has a capacity of about 12,000 and is known for its vocal crowd.

Fans have expressed mixed feelings on social media. One Zimbabwe supporter tweeted, “It’s a Test of skill, not tech – love it!” while another lamented, “We deserve the best; a Test without DRS feels like playing in the dark.” The ICC, for its part, has reiterated that DRS remains optional for associate or financially constrained hosts.

What experts say

Cricket analyst Haroon Lorgat noted, “The absence of DRS can actually level the playing field for the underdogs. It forces both sides to play with greater discipline, which could lead to tighter contests.” Meanwhile, former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak warned, “Umpiring errors will inevitably happen. The only safeguard is a strong on‑field panel, and that’s a big ask for a five‑day grind.”

Looking ahead

All eyes will be on the opening day for any controversial decisions that could set the tone for the series. Should the match finish without major umpiring drama, it may bolster ZC’s case for allocating future funds to technology upgrades. Conversely, a high‑profile mistake could reignite calls from fans and broadcasters for mandatory DRS in all Test matches, regardless of venue size.

Beyond the Test, the T20I leg will offer a different spectacle. Those games will feature full DRS support, as the ICC has arranged for portable technology to be shipped for the shorter format – a compromise that highlights the growing importance of consistency across formats.

• Test dates: 20‑24 Oct 2025
• Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe
• DRS: Not available for the Test, available for all T20Is
• Key debutant: Antum Naqvi (Zimbabwe)
• Financial aid: US$1.5 million ICC assistance (Mar 2025)