Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and chose to bat in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. Ebadot Hossain gets the nod over Shoriful Islam, and offspinner Nayeem Hasan is in the XI.
Cricinfo staff reported on Friday 9 October 2026 that Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and chose to bat first in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. The team sheet holds two notable calls: Ebadot Hossain plays ahead of Shoriful Islam, and Nayeem Hasan makes the XI.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | Afghanistan v Bangladesh, one-off Test, outside the World Test Championship |
| Toss | Bangladesh won and chose to bat |
| Venue and dates | Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, 9-13 October 2026; day 1 starts 10:00 local (11:30 IST, 07:00 UK) |
| Captains | Najmul Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh), Rahmat Shah (Afghanistan) |
Bangladesh's calls
Bangladesh XI, in batting order: Tanzid Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain.
The harder omission is Shoriful Islam. He was the standout in Bangladesh's previous Test, the second Test against Australia at Mackay in August, where he took seven wickets. Ebadot gets the place instead and shares the new ball duties with Hasan Mahmud, who keeps his spot.
Nayeem Hasan is the other talking point. The offspinner was only a travelling reserve in the announced 15-man squad, alongside Musfik Hasan and Iqbal Hossain Emon, but he travelled with the side and played in the warm-up against the UAE last week. With Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz also in the XI, Bangladesh go in with three spinners.
Taskin Ahmed is not in the squad at all. He was rested as Bangladesh prioritise their World Test Championship fixtures, with the West Indies Tests next. Also missing from the XI are squad members Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik and Khaled Ahmed. Hridoy was recalled after a triple-century for Bangladesh A in South Africa but still does not make the side.
Afghanistan under Rahmat
Afghanistan XI: Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah (capt), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhil, Zia-ur-Rehman, Shahidullah, Yamin Ahmadzai, Ismat Alam, Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem.
This is Rahmat Shah's first Test as full-time captain. He took over from Hashmatullah Shahidi, who still plays in this XI, and is Afghanistan's fourth Test captain. It is a batting-heavy side: Atal and Malik open, Rahmat and Shahidi anchor the middle order, and Shahidullah, in form after heavy scoring in the domestic Ahmad Shah Abdali first-class tournament, bats at No. 7.
The attack is built around Yamin Ahmadzai and Ismat Alam, who offer pace and all-round options, left-arm spin from Zia-ur-Rehman and wrist spin from Qais Ahmad. Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran are not playing, as both were rested from Test cricket on medical advice. Legspinner Khalil Gurbaz was in the squad mix but misses out, with Qais the wristspin pick.
Context: a first UAE Test
This is Bangladesh's first Test at a neutral venue and their first in the UAE. The two sides have met twice before in Tests, in 2019 and 2023, with one win each.
Abu Dhabi has generally favoured batting first and first-innings scores have been substantial, averaging around 360 according to venue stats from a second source. Expect heat in the high 30s Celsius, which makes the toss decision and the spin options worth watching.
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