Bangladesh to play T20Is in UAE before Pakistan tour begins

Bangladesh will play two T20 internationals against the United Arab Emirates in Sharjah ahead of their five-match series in Pakistan, as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) ramps up preparations for this year's Asia Cup and next year's T20 World Cup.

The Emirates Cricket Board confirmed the schedule on 2 May , with the matches set for 17 and 19 May at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Both fixtures will begin at 7:00 pm local time (9:00 pm Bangladesh time).

This will be Bangladesh's second bilateral T20I series in the UAE, having previously toured in september 2022 when they defeated the hosts in both matches.

"We are pleased to host Bangladesh for another T20I series," said Subhan Ahmed, CEO of the Emirates Cricket Board. "We always aim to organise fixtures against high-quality opposition to help our team grow." The UAE has also hosted the likes of New Zealand, West Indies, and Afghanistan in recent years.

Following the UAE trip, the Tigers will head straight to Pakistan for a five-match T20I series that will be split between Faisalabad and Lahore. The first two matches will be held in Faisalabad on 25 and 27 May , marking the return of international cricket to the venue after 17 years. The teams will then move to Lahore for the final three fixtures on 30 May , 1 june, and 3 june.

Although the original Future Tours Programme (FTP) had included three ODIs and three T20Is, both boards agreed to drop the 50-over matches in favour of more T20 action.

With the Asia Cup also being played in the T20 format this year, the BCB has prioritised shorter-format matches as part of its build-up to the T20 World Cup in 2026.