Bangladesh set for Afghanistan Test and UAE ODI Tri-Series

Bangladesh's upcoming tour of Afghanistan has been finalised, with the Tigers set to play a one-off Test against Afghanistan followed by a three-team ODI series involving Zimbabwe in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the itinerary issued by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the first group of Bangladesh players will arrive in Dubai on October 1. The squad will then have two days of training before playing a two-day warm-up fixture against the United Arab Emirates on October 4 and 5.

The second group of players is scheduled to join the team from Japan on October 6. Bangladesh will then move to Abu Dhabi ahead of their only Test against Afghanistan.

The Test will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium from October 9 to 13. Play is scheduled from 10am to 5pm local time in Abu Dhabi.

The tour will then switch to the 50-over format, with Zimbabwe joining Bangladesh and Afghanistan for a three-team ODI series in the UAE.

Bangladesh will open their campaign against Zimbabwe on October 17 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan will face Zimbabwe at the same venue two days later, before Bangladesh take on Afghanistan on October 21 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The final is scheduled for October 23, also at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. All matches in the ODI series are scheduled to start at 3:30pm local time.

The tour will conclude on October 24, when the Bangladesh team is scheduled to return home.

The assignment will therefore give Bangladesh a mix of red-ball and white-ball cricket in the UAE. The Test against Afghanistan will be followed by three guaranteed ODI matches for Bangladesh, with a possible fourth if they reach the final.

The tour also comes at a busy point in Bangladesh's international calendar. The team will have to adjust from Test cricket to the shorter format within a few days before beginning the ODI tri-series.

For Bangladesh, the Abu Dhabi Test will be the first major assignment of the tour before attention turns to the three-team competition, where Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will provide further 50-over challenges.

The BCB itinerary places the Test and the ODI tri-series across Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, with the team scheduled to complete its UAE assignment on October 24.