Afghanistan to play Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in UAE

Afghanistan announced on Tuesday an all-format schedule that pits them against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, with matches to be played at neutral venues starting next month.

The war-torn nation will play all the matches in the UAE, starting with a one-off Test against Bangladesh from October 9.

“Playing against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe across different formats will provide our players with valuable competitive opportunities,” Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan said.

The Test will be followed by a one-day international three-way series from October 17 to 23, with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe facing each other once before the top two teams meet in the final.

Afghanistan will then take on Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series from October 27 to November 1. The two teams will later face off in two Test matches, the first from November 5 to 9 and the second from November 13 to 17.

The ACB will announce the venues of each match in due course.

Afghanistan are also playing a three-match home T20I series against India in Delhi starting from September 13.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury expressed optimism about the upcoming tour, particularly the Test match. He said the series will be exciting for fans and give Bangladesh’s players valuable first-hand experience of red-ball cricket in the UAE while testing themselves against a strong Afghanistan side.

“The Test match and the tri-nation series promise an exciting period of cricket for fans in both Bangladesh and Afghanistan. We attach great importance to Tests, and this will be an excellent opportunity for our players to experience red-ball cricket in the UAE for the first time and challenge themselves against a formidable Afghanistan side that has traditionally performed well in these conditions,” he said.

Zimbabwe Cricket MD Givemore Makoni said the tour will be important for Zimbabwe’s development, providing high-quality competition across all three formats. He particularly highlighted the value of the ODI tri-series and the two Tests, as Zimbabwe look to gain more experience in the longest format.

“This is an important tour for Zimbabwe, offering our players high-quality competition across all three formats. The ODI tri-series will test us against two strong sides, while the two Tests are especially valuable as we continue seeking more regular opportunities in the longest format,” he said.