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Bangladesh to play first neutral venue Test against Afghanistan

Published : Thursday, 8 October, 2026 at 11:17 AM

Observer Online Report

Collected Photo

Bangladesh is set to play its first-ever neutral venue Test match in team history when they face Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Friday (October 9).

While Bangladesh has previously played Afghanistan in the longest format, this fixture marks a major milestone. The team has played ODIs and T20Is in the United Arab Emirates before, but this will be their debut Test match on UAE soil.

With this match, Bangladesh becomes the 12th nation to play a Test match at a neutral venue. Pakistan holds the record for the most Test matches played at neutral venues, featuring in 39 games between 1999 and 2018, securing 19 victories.

Australia sits second on the list with 14 neutral Test matches and 7 wins. Outside of Pakistan and Australia, no other team has reached double digits in neutral venue Tests, while India has played the fewest at just two matches.

Bangladesh and Afghanistan have met twice before in Test cricket, with both matches played in Bangladesh. Afghanistan secured a 224-run victory in Chittagong in 2019, while Bangladesh responded with a massive 546-run win in 2023.

Following the single Test in Abu Dhabi, Bangladesh will remain in the UAE to participate in a tri-series involving Zimbabwe and host nation Afghanistan across Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

-SA

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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