Afghanistan to host West Indies ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
The two sides will be eyeing important preparation ahead of next year's marquee T20I event in the sub-continent.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board has confirmed that they will host the West Indies for a three-match T20I series in the United Arab Emirates between January 19 and 22 next year, as both teams continue their build-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to take place.
The three fixtures will be played on January 19, 21 and 22 in the UAE. The series is set to provide crucial practice for both sides for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
Both sides had sealed automatic qualification among the 20 teams at the showpiece event among the top seven teams from the previous edition of the competition in 2024.
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While the West Indies will arrive to the tournament as the only team to have won it twice (2012 and 2016) alongside India, Afghanistan had claimed their first-ever top-four finish in 2024 as they reached the semi-finals.
Following the series sweep against Bangladesh last month, the West Indies are currently in the midst of a five-match T20I series against New Zealand. They will also face South Africa soon after the series against Afghanistan in January.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's next T20I outing will see them feature in a three-match T20I series against Qatar, beginning Saturday, November 8.
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ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said the series presents an important opportunity for Afghanistan to fine-tune their preparations for the global event set to be hosted in February-March.
“Competing against the West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalize their lineup and enhance their preparations for the upcoming mega event in India and Sri Lanka,” Khan said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe highlighted the importance of the series in sharpening their squad ahead of the marquee event.
“Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, and it also gives our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka,” Bascombe said.
Series schedule:
1st T20I - January 19, UAE
2nd T20I - January 21, UAE
3rd T20I - January 22, UAE