Zimbabwe to return to Test cricket

Zimbabwe's Test status will be restored after their tour of Bangladesh next year. The news comes on the day that the country's cricket board was cleared of allegations of racism, although according to the ICC, there was no direct link between the two announcements.

"Zimbabwe's Test status was never under threat," said Ehsan Mani, the president of the ICC. They were suspended from Test cricket earlier this year, ahead of a hiding-to-nothing series against Australia, after a team of rookies had been thrashed in consecutive matches against Sri Lanka.

"Zimbabwe was stopped from playing Test cricket because they lost many of their leading established players," added Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive. "The decision was taken in agreement with the ZCU, which also understood the situation arising out of the walkout by several leading players. [Now] they are grooming a new team which requires time and exposure to adjust to this level."

The findings of the report also ensures that England cannot back out of their forthcoming five-match tour of Zimbabwe in November, unless safety and security cannot be guaranteed. Several players may yet follow the lead of Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff, however, and choose to withdraw from the squad on moral grounds.