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Live Update: Why is AFG vs BAN Test not a part of WTC 2025-27 cycle?
The one-off Test between Afghanistan and Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi does not count toward World Test Championship standings, and here is why. Why is AFG vs BAN Test not a part of WTC 2025-27 cycle? (Photo Source: Zimbabwe Cricket/X) Afghanistan and Bangladesh began their one-off Test on October 9, 2026 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, with the match scheduled to conclude on October 13, 2026.
Despite being a fully recognised Test between two ICC Full Members, the fixture does not carry any World Test Championship points and will have no bearing on the WTC 2025-27 standings. The central reason is straightforward – the World Test Championship operates as a closed league featuring only nine top-ranked Test-playing nations, and Afghanistan is not among those nine sides. Because Afghanistan sits outside the WTC structure, any Test it plays, regardless of the opponent, cannot be counted within the championship cycle.
This is the third Test between the two sides. Afghanistan won the first meeting by 224 runs in Chattogram in September 2019, while Bangladesh won the second by 546 runs in Dhaka in June 2023, leaving the head-to-head level at one win iece heading into Abu Dhabi. Why is Afghanistan not included in the WTC?
The WTC was designed around nine established Test-playing nations, and the ICC has not built a promotion or relegation mechanism into the competition. Newer or lower-ranked Full Members such as Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe cannot rotate into the WTC points table under the current structure. Afghanistan has played 13 Tests since gaining Test status in 2017, winning four, losing eight and drawing one.
That limited red-ball schedule makes it difficult for the country to sustain the kind of regular multi-match series that a points-based championship table requires. Without a consistent volume of fixtures, integrating Afghanistan into a structured WTC cycle presents a practical challenge beyond the current nine-team format. Matches involving teams outside the nine WTC members, or bilateral fixtures played outside the official WTC window, are classified as stand-alone Tests.
They carry full Test status and are recorded in career and team statistics, but they do not contribute to WTC standings for either side involved. What does this Test mean for Bangladesh’s WTC campaign? While the Abu Dhabi fixture is a stand-alone Test for Afghanistan, Bangladesh do have active WTC 2025-27 commitments.
Najmul Hossain Shanto leads Bangladesh in this match, with Rahmat Shah ctaining Afghanistan in place of the previous ctain Hashmatullah Shahidi. Once this Test is over, Bangladesh will face the West Indies and South Africa in their remaining WTC assignments. These results will determine whether Bangladesh can qualify for the WTC final for the first time.
The game in Abu Dhabi will therefore not bring Bangladesh any WTC points, even though the country is actively participating in the WTC, simply because its opponent is not part of the nine-team league. The ICC’s closed league model means that only series scheduled between two WTC member states as part of the official cycle generate championship points. Any Test outside this framework, including this match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh, will be played solely for bilateral honors and historical records.
