Saif, Bashir Make ODI Debuts as Bangladesh Opt to Bat First Against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi

Saif, Bashir Make ODI Debuts as Bangladesh Opt to Bat First Against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi

Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz won the toss and elected to bat first against Afghanistan in the first ODI at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, as both sides introduced fresh faces in a series opener featuring multiple changes and debutants.

Right-hand batter Saif Hassan made his ODI debut for Bangladesh, while Bashir Ahmad, a left-arm quick, was handed his first 50-over cap for Afghanistan. Bangladesh also welcomed back Nurul Hasan to the ODI fold for the first time in two years, as they look to fine-tune their squad ahead of a packed international calendar.

Afghanistan, playing their first ODI since the Champions Trophy in February, returned to the format after a long gap. In the interim, they featured in a T20I tri-series with Pakistan and UAE and were recently blanked 3-0 in a T20I series by Bangladesh.

Team Changes and Selections

Afghanistan made three changes from their last ODI XI, bringing in:

  • Nangeyalia Kharote, the left-arm spinner

  • AM Ghazanfar, the mystery spinner

  • Bashir Ahmad, making his ODI debut

Notably missing from the squad were Gulbadin Naib, Noor Ahmad, and Fazalhaq Farooqi, all of whom were dropped for this series.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, rested several key players including Mustafizur Rahman, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, and Nahid Rana. Alongside Saif's debut, Nurul Hasan was recalled as the wicketkeeper, replacing Litton Das.

In a minor logistical hiccup, Mohammad Naim was unable to travel from Dhaka due to UAE visa issues. As a contingency, Parvez Hossain has been asked to remain in Abu Dhabi as a standby, though he is not officially part of the ODI squad.

Recent Form and Pitch Factors

The decision to bat first may have been influenced by recent trends at the venue — in day-night games at the Zayed Stadium, teams batting first have won four out of the last five ODIs. Bangladesh will be hoping to capitalise on those conditions as they look to continue their recent white-ball dominance over Afghanistan.

Playing XIs

Afghanistan XI:

  1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk),

  2. Ibrahim Zadran,

  3. Sediqullah Atal,

  4. Rahmat Shah,

  5. Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt),

  6. Azmatullah Omarzai,

  7. Mohammad Nabi,

  8. Rashid Khan,

  9. Nangeyalia Kharote,

  10. AM Ghazanfar,

  11. Bashir Ahmad

Bangladesh XI:

  1. Tanzid Hasan Tamim,

  2. Najmul Hossain Shanto,

  3. Saif Hassan,

  4. Towhid Hridoy,

  5. Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt),

  6. Nurul Hasan (wk),

  7. Jaker Ali,

  8. Taskin Ahmed,

  9. Hasan Mahmud,

  10. Tanvir Islam,

  11. Tanzim Hasan Sakib

With new players looking to make their mark and both sides testing bench strength, this ODI series could provide crucial insights ahead of upcoming international assignments.