Rahmat Shah begins his Test captaincy as Afghanistan host Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi

Afghanistan begin a one-off Test against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi on Friday with a new captain in charge and two of their best-known players rested from the format

Rahmat Shah leads Afghanistan in a Test for the first time when the match starts at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, the only red-ball fixture of a UAE block that also carries a one-day tri-series. He was appointed Test and ODI captain in July after Hashmatullah Shahidi stepped down.

He does so without Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran. The Afghanistan Cricket Board said in its squad release that "Rashid and opener Ibrahim Zadran continue to be rested from Test cricket as per medical assessments", and that both players have been advised not to play Tests at this stage.

Bangladesh travel under Najmul Hossain Shanto, who keeps the Test captaincy, and arrive from a two-match series in Australia that finished level.

A first assignment for the new captain

Rahmat Shah took over both long-form jobs in July, when Shahidi gave up the captaincy without naming a reason. "Today I announce with full respect and consent that I am resigning as captain of my team at my personal decision," Shahidi said in a message quoted by the ICC.

Shahidi remains in the squad as a batter. Ikram Alikhil is vice-captain and first-choice wicketkeeper, with Afsar Zazai also named as a keeper.

The board has framed the fixture as a home Test, played at a neutral ground, with Afghanistan hosting Bangladesh in the format for the first time.

Rashid and Ibrahim stay out

Rashid has not played a Test since January 2025, and the board's position on both men has not changed since earlier squads this year.

Neither absence carries into the white-ball matches that follow. Both are named in the ODI squad for the tri-series, where Rahmat Shah also captains and Rahmanullah Gurbaz is his deputy.

Recalls from the first-class season

Shahidullah Kamal and Yamin Ahmadzai return on the strength of the Ahmad Shah Abdali First Class Tournament, where Shahidullah has made 538 runs at 76.85 and Yamin has taken 42 wickets at 12.73.

Zia Ur Rahman Akbar is back after close to a year out with injury, and Khalil Gurbaz is recalled having last been in a Test squad for the 2024 tour of Ireland.

Ismat Alam returns after missing Afghanistan's most recent Test, against India. Baheer Shah Mahboob, Naseer Khan Maroofkhil, Bilal Sami and Bashir Ahmad travel as reserves.

Bangladesh arrive off a split series in Australia

Bangladesh won the first Test in Darwin by nine wickets, their first Test victory on Australian soil, with Tanzid Hasan making a maiden Test hundred and Mehidy Hasan Miraz taking five in an innings.

The second Test in Mackay went the other way inside two days. Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in their first innings and lost by an innings and 51 runs, with Mitchell Starc returning 6-12 and 4-39 for match figures of 10-51.

The 15-man squad keeps Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mominul Haque, Shadman Islam and Soumya Sarkar among the batters, with Mehidy and Taijul Islam the frontline spinners and Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury and Shoriful Islam the seamers.

Nayeem Hasan, Musfik Hasan and Iqbal Hossain Emon have travelled as reserves.

A one-day tri-series follows

The Test is the opening act of a longer UAE programme. A one-day tri-series involving Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe runs from 17 to 23 October, split between Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, with the final at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

"The ODI tri-nation series is of great importance to us," Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Naseeb Khan said, pointing to the 2027 World Cup as the reason the 50-over matches matter.

The Test is scheduled for five days, from 9 to 13 October, at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

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