Afghanistan have announced a multi-format series in which they will host both Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the United Arab Emirates, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC). This multi-format series will be held in the months of October and November. Afghanistan will play a one-off Test with Bangladesh, and a two-game series in the same format against Zimbabwe. In between the three Test matches, there will be a tri-nation ODI series involving all the countries, followed by a bilateral T20I series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
The series will begin on October 9 with Afghanistan playing against Bangladesh in the one-off Test mentioned earlier. This will be soon followed by the tri-nation series in which each team will play two games, and the two best-ranked sides will qualify for the final. Bangladesh’s involvement in the multi-format tour ends here, with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan now playing a three-game T20I series. Finally, the hosts and Zimbabwe will play two Tests, starting on November 5 and ending on November 17.
Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, CEO of Bangladesh Cricket Board, welcomed the announcement.
“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.
Chowdhury’s statements were mirrored by Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director Givemore Makoni. He mentioned the importance of this multi-format tour in developing Zimbabwe’s players in the long term.
“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,” said Makoni.
TOUR SCHEDULE
One-off Test
- 9-13 October: Afghanistan v Bangladesh
ODI Tri-Nation Series
- 17 October: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe
- 19 October: Afghanistan v Zimbabwe
- 21 October: Afghanistan v Bangladesh
- 23 October: Final
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe T20I Series
- 27 October: First T20I
- 29 October: Second T20I
- 1 November: Third T20I
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe Test Series
- 5-9 November: First Test
- 13-17 November: Second Test
