The Zambia national cricket team represents the Republic of Zambia in international cricket and is governed by the Zambia Cricket Union, an ICC associate member since 2003. The team debuted in 1930 during colonial times as Northern Rhodesia. In the 1950s, it began playing regularly against other East African teams and contributed players to the East African cricket team, later part of the East and Central Africa Cricket Conference.
Cricket was introduced to Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) from Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) in the early 1900s. With relatively few British settlers, development was slow. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) played Zambia's first international in Livingstone in 1930, defeating the home team. By the late 1930s, cricket in Northern Rhodesia began integrating with Southern Rhodesia's stronger cricket scene, but northern players rarely featured for Rhodesia.
Following independence in 1964, Zambia's Cricket Union quickly formed, opening play to all racial groups. Zambia competed in East African tournaments from 1968, facing teams like Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The 1970s were Zambia's golden era, welcoming English county tours. However, the early 1980s saw reduced investment and declining activity. Cricket was mainly limited to Lusaka by the mid-1990s, but Zambia reappeared in African Cricket Association events from 1994. The nation became an ICC associate member in 2003, joined ICC tournaments, and won the World Cricket League Africa Division Two in 2010, marking a new chapter for Zambian cricket.
Since the late 1990s, Zambia has competed in ICC Africa tournaments, mostly in lower divisions. It reached the World Cricket League only once, finishing fourth in the 2010 Division Eight. In 2018, ICC granted all members full T20I status starting in 2019. However, Zambia's membership was terminated in 2021 due to non-compliance with ICC criteria. The ICC officially restored Zambia's membership in 2025.
| Player | Career Highlight |
|---|---|
| Keith W Arnold | Played for East Africa |
| Derek Bruorton | Played for Transvaal |
| Aubrey Dennis | Played for North Eastern Transvaal |
| Chris English | Played for Berkshire County Cricket Club |
| Roger Henderson | Played for Rhodesia |
"The restoration of our ICC membership is not the end of a journey — it is the beginning of one. Our mission is to take cricket to every province of Zambia, to give our men's and women's national teams the platform they deserve, and to make our nation proud on the international stage."
