JOHANNESBURG, Sept 11: Kevin Curran, the Zimbabwe coach, has revealed Zimbabwe are planning to return to Test cricket in November 2007, following their withdrawal at the start of this year.

Zimbabwe have arrived in South Africa for a three-match ODI series as preparation for the Champions Trophy.

“We will be playing the West Indies at home in November next year,” Curran told the Sapa news agency.

“We think that will give us time to develop our very young team, and we also believe that the West Indies would be at the right level of play for our return to Test cricket.”

Curran added that tours such as this short trip to Zimbabwe were vital for an inexperienced team.

“It's a very young team — the average age is about 21 so we need to play lots of competitive cricket. We are also planning a number of four-day matches against teams like South Africa ‘A’ and other ‘A’ sides.

“As these players gain international experience, they will improve and become more competitive. If they can get 30 or 40 international caps under their belts, they will be much better prepared for the return to Test cricket.”—Agencies