Afghanistan Home Season In UAE Brings Three Tests And A Tri-Series

Afghanistan will host Bangladesh and Zimbabwe across all three formats in the United Arab Emirates this October and November. The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed the fixtures on Tuesday. The Afghanistan home season runs from 9 October to 17 November. It carries three Tests, four ODIs and three T20Is. Bangladesh arrive first.

The block opens with a one-off Test against Bangladesh from 9 to 13 October. An ODI tri-series follows the week after. Zimbabwe then stay on for three T20Is and a two-match Test series that closes the programme. Venues inside the UAE were not named in the announcement.

Four series in six weeks

This is four separate series stitched into one travelling window rather than a single tournament. Afghanistan appear in all of them. Bangladesh play the opening Test and the tri-series, then go home. Zimbabwe have the longer stay, running through to the middle of November.

The tri-series is a straight round robin. Each side meets the other once between 17 and 21 October. The final is on 23 October. That leaves every team with two group games before it.

The full schedule

• 9 to 13 October: Afghanistan v Bangladesh, one-off Test
• 17 October: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe, ODI
• 19 October: Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, ODI
• 21 October: Afghanistan v Bangladesh, ODI
• 23 October: ODI tri-series final
• 27 and 29 October, 1 November: Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, T20Is
• 5 to 9 November: Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, first Test
• 13 to 17 November: Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, second Test

Bangladesh open with a red-ball first

The one-off Test gives Bangladesh a first red-ball assignment in the UAE, according to their board. Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, the BCB chief executive, called it "an excellent opportunity for our players to experience red-ball cricket in the UAE". The match finishes on 13 October.

Four days later they are back for white-ball cricket. Bangladesh meet Zimbabwe on 17 October and Afghanistan on 21 October. A place in the final rests on those two results.

Two Tests for Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe collect the bulk of the fixtures. Three T20Is come first, on 27 and 29 October and 1 November. The two Tests follow, from 5 to 9 November and from 13 to 17 November. Givemore Makoni, Zimbabwe Cricket's managing director, said the Tests were valuable as the side seeks more regular cricket in the longest format, according to the ICC.

Zimbabwe are in the UAE for the tri-series too. Their trip stretches across a full month. It ends on 17 November.

A home season on neutral ground

Every fixture is an Afghanistan home match played at a neutral venue. Naseeb Khan, the ACB chief executive, said the programme would "provide our players with valuable competitive opportunities". Afghanistan face three Tests of their own, two tri-series group games and three T20Is, with the final on top if they qualify.

Grounds have still to be confirmed. So have squads. The first ball is a month away.