Tigers’ Test vs Afghanistan starts on June 14

Bangladesh will face Afghanistan in a one-off Test match from June 14 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced on Wednesday.

After playing the Test, the Afghans will travel to India for a three-match One-Day International series on June 19. Then, they will return to Bangladesh on July 1, when they will play three ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals.

The ODIs will be played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram while the T20Is will take place at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

The Test between the sides will only be the second among them, with the Tigers losing the first by a massive 224 runs when the sides met in Chattogram four years ago. On a spin-friendly track, Bangladesh failed to hold on to a draw despite rain cutting of chunks of the match’s play, and that defeat was met with fierce criticism.

However, the recent white-ball memories are not sour for Bangladesh as they won their last ODI series against Afghanistan at home, which was also held at Chattogram, 2-1, a series which included a miraculous unbeaten 174-run seventh-wicket stand between Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz sealing the victory in the first match.

Afghanistan will arrive for the initial Test on June 10. After their break in-between and the white-ball series, the Afghans will leave Bangladesh on July 17.

Bangladesh are likely to be without skipper Shakib Al Hasan in that Test as he injured his right index finger during their three-match ODI series against Ireland in England, which is likely to keep him out until late June. That means the star all-rounder is likely to return for the limited-overs series.