Kabul, Sep 8 (IANS) Afghanistan Cricket Team will host UAE and Bangladesh for a multi-format series in the UAE in October-November this year, featuring a one-off Test against Bangladesh, an ODI Tri-Nation Series involving all three teams, and a three-match T20I series followed by a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on Tuesday.
Afghanistan will first play a single Test with Bangladesh from October 9 to 13. This will be followed by an ODI Tri-Nation Series involving Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe from October 17-23, with each team playing the other once before the top two teams meet in the final on October 23.
Following the Tri-Nation Series, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will contest a three-match T20I series, with the matches scheduled for October 27, October 29 and November 1. The two sides will then meet in a two-match Test series, with the first Test scheduled for November 5-9 and the second Test from November 13-17, 2026.
Commenting on the importance of the upcoming schedule, ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said, “We are pleased to confirm this important period of international cricket for the Afghanistan National Team. Playing Bangladesh and Zimbabwe across different formats will provide our players with valuable competitive opportunities and offer our supporters an exciting period of international cricket.”
“The Afghanistan Cricket Board remains committed to providing our national team with regular, high-quality international cricket. We highly value our relationships with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Zimbabwe Cricket and appreciate their cooperation in making these important assignments possible,” he added.
BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury also echoed the same sentiments and said, “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. We thank the Afghanistan Cricket Board for arranging this tour and the tri-nation series, which also features Zimbabwe. It promises to be a highly competitive tournament, and we look forward to an exciting few weeks of international cricket.”
Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Givemore Makoni added, “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. We sincerely appreciate the Afghanistan Cricket Board for hosting this programme and the Bangladesh Cricket Board for their cooperation. We look forward to a competitive and exciting tour.”
The announcement comes at a time when Afghanistan is preparing to host India for a three-match T20I series which will begin on Sunday, with all three matches to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
–IANS
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