Bangladesh opt to bat after winning toss against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi Test

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bat against Afghanistan in the one-off Test at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Shanto said the pitch was quite dry and the weather was hot, leading him to believe that batting in the second innings would be more difficult.

Bangladesh have named an 11-man side featuring Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wicketkeeper), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Taijul Islam and Ebadot Hossain.

Afghanistan’s side features Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah (captain), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Alikhil (wicketkeeper), Zia-ur-Rehman, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Ismat Alam.

The match is Bangladesh’s first Test at a neutral venue.

The fixture is also significant for Afghanistan’s Test ranking prospects. Under the ICC’s criteria, a team must play at least eight Tests over a three-year period to be included in the Test rankings. This match is Afghanistan’s sixth Test during the period, meaning they need to play two more to qualify for the rankings.

Although Afghanistan are still relatively inexperienced in Test cricket, Bangladesh cannot afford to underestimate them.