Afghanistan will stage a short white-ball tour against Bangladesh in the United Arab Emirates next month, sliding in only four days after the Asia Cup final on 28 September. The boards have agreed on back-to-back T20Is in Dubai on 2, 3 and 5 October, followed by ODIs on 8, 11 and 14 October. Grounds are still being finalised, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on Saturday.
With both sides already based in the Gulf for the Asia Cup, travelling headaches are minimal. Bangladesh are expected to remain in the UAE once their Cup campaign ends, easing the squeeze on an already crowded calendar.
The countries meet in the Asia Cup group stage on 16 September in Abu Dhabi, alongside Sri Lanka and Hong Kong in Group B. Only two progress to the Super Fours, so at least one side will have an early window to refocus on the bilateral games. Group A contains India, Oman, Pakistan and the hosts UAE.
This October jaunt is effectively part two of a tour first pencilled in for July 2024. That original itinerary – two Tests, three ODIs, three T20Is in Greater Noida, India – was trimmed to limited-overs fixtures and then postponed when heavy rain and Bangladesh’s log-jammed schedule intervened. The promise to play the white-ball leg has now been honoured; the red-ball portion remains unscheduled.
Recent history hints at a close contest. The four completed bilateral ODI series stand at two apiece: Bangladesh prevailed in 2016 and 2022, Afghanistan hit back in 2023 and earlier this year. The T20I ledger is similarly tight – Afghanistan edged the 2018 duel, Bangladesh levelled matters in 2023, while a solitary match in 2022 ended all square.
Neither board has yet announced squads, though both camps have spoken of using the matches to firm up plans for next year’s Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup. Full details, including venues and broadcasting arrangements, are expected in the coming days.
