New Zealand touch down in Zimbabwe for Test series

The 16-member New Zealand squad landed in Zimbabwe on Wednesday (July 20), ending weeks of speculation over the two-match Test series due to unrest and nationwide protests in the country. The Kane Williamson-led side had a training camp in Pretoria in South Africa before proceeding to Zimbabwe.

"It's nice to finally be here. We had a good tour here last year, so I'm sure it will be much the same," Tom Latham, New Zealand's Test opener, said. "It was a good week of preparation for us in South Africa.

"It was good to catch up with the guys. We want to win every game, like we do on most tours. It's nice to have everyone back, everyone is fully fit. We'll get the warm-up game out of the way and then focus on the two Tests."

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) had previously stated that they were assessing the situation in Zimbabwe. "We are continuing to monitor the situation. There is a bit of time and water to go under the bridge ... and at this stage its business as usual," a NZC spokesman had said a few weeks earlier.

New Zealand's only practice game begins in Harare on July 22, followed by the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo from July 28.