Men's World Cup qualifying matches at Harare Sports Club will continue thanks to prompt action taken by firefighters to douse a blaze at the ground on Tuesday night. Three more group games are scheduled to be played there from Thursday to Monday as well as four Super Six matches and the final on July 9.Photos and videos shared on social media around 10 pm local time depicted a raging fire just meters away from the stands at the southern end of the ground. The stand seemed to be engulfed in tall flames. Sources have revealed that the fuel for the fire was thatched roofing, which had been removed from a building undergoing renovation and placed on the ground. The cause of the thatch catching fire remains unknown.

Harare Sports Club is located across Fifth Street from Zimbabwe House, a heavily guarded government building that was once the residence of Robert Mugabe after his election as prime minister in 1980. Today, it is utilized for high-level meetings, occasionally involving President Emmerson Mnangagwa. This proximity likely contributed to the rapid response of the Harare Fire Brigade. The fire was extinguished before any damage occurred to the stand. On Wednesday, an ICC security team assessed the situation and confirmed that there would be no risk to spectator safety during the remaining matches at Harare Sports Club. The venue has been cleared to resume play. In a statement released on Wednesday, Zimbabwe Cricket assured that no structures at the ground were affected by the fire, and the match between Nepal and West Indies on Thursday would proceed as scheduled. The fire occurred in the most populated and lively area of the facility, close to a popular bar called Castle Corner, which had a thatched roof until the ongoing renovations. Fortunately, there were no spectators present when the flames emerged, approximately six hours after Zimbabwe achieved a six-wicket victory over the Netherlands, chasing a target of 316 with less than 10 overs to spare.