Afghanistan and Bangladesh are set to clash in a three-match ODI series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November. The series will serve as a crucial preparation for both teams ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed the series, which will take place on November 6, 9, and 11. The exact venues for the matches are yet to be announced.
The series was originally scheduled as part of a full tour that included Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) declined to tour the UAE or India in June due to extreme summer temperatures.
After extensive discussions, the two boards agreed to proceed with only the ODI leg of the tour. The BCB was keen on playing the ODIs as Bangladesh has only played three ODIs so far in 2024.
BCB president Faruque Ahmed met with ACB officials on the sidelines of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Malaysia. Ahmed expressed the BCB’s desire to play three ODIs against Afghanistan before their tour of the West Indies.
After the Afghanistan series, Bangladesh will travel to the Caribbean for a two-Test, three-ODI, and three-T20I series against the West Indies.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, has played eight ODIs this year, including a historic 2-1 series win against South Africa. After the Bangladesh series, Afghanistan will tour Zimbabwe for a full series across all three formats.
The Afghanistan-Bangladesh ODI series will provide both teams with valuable match practice ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. Afghanistan will be looking to build on their recent success against South Africa, while Bangladesh will be aiming to improve their ODI record in 2024.
