Afghanistan to host Bangladesh, Zimbabwe in UAE for multi-format home season

Afghanistan are set for a packed international season in the UAE, with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe joining them for a series of matches across all three formats between October and November 2026.The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a one-off Test against Bangladesh, followed by an ODI tri-series involving all three teams. Afghanistan will then host Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series and a two-match Test series to round off the tour. ODI tri-series set for October The ODI leg will see Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe compete in a single round-robin format, with each team facing the other once. The top two sides will then meet in the final.The tri-series schedule is: October 17: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe October 19: Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe October 21: Afghanistan vs Bangladesh October 23: Final The venues in the UAE are yet to be confirmed, with the ACB expected to finalize the stadiums at a later date. Bangladesh Test opens the home season Before the ODI tri-series gets underway, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will face each other in a one-off Test from October 9 to 13. Bangladesh will then depart the UAE after the tri-series, while Zimbabwe will stay on for the remainder of Afghanistan's home season. Zimbabwe series to end tour Afghanistan will face Zimbabwe in three T20Is from October 27 to November 1, before the two sides return to the longer format for a two-Test series from November 5 to 17.The complete schedule is: Dates Series Format October 9–13 Afghanistan vs Bangladesh One-off Test October 17–23 Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe ODI Tri-Series October 27–November 1 Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 3 T20Is November 5–17 Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2 Tests All matches will be hosted by Afghanistan in the UAE, although the exact venues are yet to be finalized.Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director Givemore Makoni said the tour would give Zimbabwe's players an opportunity to test themselves against quality opposition across all three formats."This is an important tour for Zimbabwe, offering our players high-quality competition across all three formats," Makoni said.ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan also welcomed the multi-format schedule, highlighting the competitive opportunities it will provide Afghanistan."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," Naseeb said.