Dhaka: A group of Bangladesh team left Dhaka today for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. The group included players like Soumya Sarkar, Jaker Ali Anik, Towhid Hriody, Rishad Hossain, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, and others who were not part of the recently concluded Test series against South Africa.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the players who were part of the Test series will leave the country tomorrow. The Afghanistan series, which will be played on Afghanistan’s adopted venue in the UAE, is seen as a preparation platform for the next year’s ICC Champions Trophy. This will be Bangladesh’s first ODI series since March when they played against Sri Lanka at home.
After that, Bangladesh only played T20 and Test matches. While they had a disappointing T20 campaign, they found success with a historic Test series win against Pakistan. However, they faced setbacks after subsequent defeats to India and South Africa. Although Afghanistan has recently become a s
trong contender for the Tigers, Bangladesh still holds the edge with 10 wins against six losses in 16 ODI encounters between the two teams.
The three ODIs against Afghanistan will be on November 6, 9, and 11, all at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Following this series, Bangladesh will visit the West Indies for a full bilateral series that includes all three formats of cricket.
The squad for the series includes Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Touhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hassan Miraz (Vice Captain), Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Nahid Rana.