October is shaping up to be one of the busiest months on the cricket calendar, and the United Arab Emirates is right at the centre of it. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has officially confirmed a jam-packed schedule that brings Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and hosts Afghanistan together for a Test match and a tri-nation ODI series — and even after that tournament ends, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe aren’t done with each other.
The action opens with a one-off Test between Bangladesh and Afghanistan, followed almost immediately by a tri-nation ODI series featuring all three sides. But the UAE leg doesn’t stop there for Afghanistan and Zimbabwe: once the tri-series wraps up, the two teams stay back to contest a three-match T20I series and a two-match Test series against each other, extending their UAE assignment well beyond the multi-team event.
For Bangladesh, the picture is just as hectic on the other end — a two-Test home series against the West Indies follows straight after the UAE tour, before a long November trip to South Africa for three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Tests rounds off their year.
Here’s how the busy stretch breaks down, series by series.
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan — One-off Test (UAE)
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Only Test | 9–13 October | UAE (venue TBA) |
Tri-Nation ODI Series — Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe (UAE)
| Match | Date | Fixture |
|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | 17 October | Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe |
| Match 2 | 19 October | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe |
| Match 3 | 21 October | Bangladesh vs Afghanistan |
| Final | 23 October | Top two teams from the table |
Each side plays the other once in the league phase, with the top two finishing teams advancing straight to the final on 23 October. Match timings and the host venue(s) are expected to be confirmed closer to the tournament.
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe — T20I Series (UAE)
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | TBA | UAE (venue TBA) |
| 2nd T20I | TBA | UAE (venue TBA) |
| 3rd T20I | TBA | UAE (venue TBA) |
Once the tri-nation ODI series concludes on 23 October, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe stay on in the UAE to face off in a separate three-match T20I series, with exact dates expected to follow the tri-series’ completion.
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe — Test Series (UAE)
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | TBA | UAE (venue TBA) |
| 2nd Test | TBA | UAE (venue TBA) |
Rounding off the extended UAE assignment, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will also meet in a two-match Test series, giving both sides a lengthy bilateral engagement on the back of the multi-team tournament.
Bangladesh vs West Indies — Test Series (Home)
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | Late October | Bangladesh (venue TBA) |
| 2nd Test | Late October | Bangladesh (venue TBA) |
Bangladesh return home immediately after the UAE tri-series to host the West Indies for a two-match Test series before the year’s final assignment.
Bangladesh tour of South Africa — ODI, T20I & Test Series
| Format | Matches | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| ODI series | 3 matches | November |
| T20I series | 3 matches | November |
| Test series | 2 matches | November |
This tour wraps up Bangladesh’s international cricket calendar for the year, capping off a stretch that runs from the UAE all the way to South Africa without much of a gap in between.