Pace bowler Khaled Ahmed has been added to Bangladesh’s Test team for the one-off match against Afghanistan, which is set to take place at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi from October 9–13, 2026. On September 19, 2026, the squad was revealed.
Khaled Ahmed was added after playing for Kent in the 2026 County Championship, where he claimed 16 wickets in three games. After placing second behind Division Two winners Durham, Kent was promoted to Division One for the 2027 campaign. On June 28, 2026, he made his final Test match for Bangladesh against Zimbabwe. I dreamed of playing in a franchise 4-day or franchise T20 league one day when I first started playing cricket as a child and began to comprehend the game. I found English cricket to be really beneficial. “I was thrilled to have the chance,” Khaled Ahmed remarked.
What was Khaled Ahmed’s impression on Kent’s county experience?
Khaled Ahmed said that his time for Kent in the 2026 County Championship was an important time for growth and adjustment. He said that it took some time to get used to English conditions, especially given the cold weather, but he stated the dressing room atmosphere was friendly. Thank God, that was a very positive experience. I hadn’t played the game in a very long time. I then accepted the chance to play in the county. It was therefore first a little challenging to get used to the cold after visiting. But thank God, everything went smoothly once I started playing,” Ahmed remarked.
Khaled Ahmed said that the captain and coaches told him to take some time to settle before participating, thus he did not play in Kent’s first game after arriving. Khaled noted the difference in circumstances as he prepared for the heat in Abu Dhabi following his time in England. Since I departed, I haven’t participated in any matches. I didn’t participate in the first game after arriving, and the coaches and captain informed me that it would be difficult to acclimate after you arrived. You attempt to adapt here.
You’ll start playing again in the following game. In the dressing room, I’m having a great time with them in addition to playing. “They were really amiable,” he remarked. You have to adapt everywhere you go as a professional cricket player. As I previously mentioned, I’m getting used to the cold after visiting England. Naturally, I have to adapt because it’s hot here in Dubai.
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“If you keep the heat in mind, it will be an issue. I’m attempting to acclimate, and after running yesterday and bowling today, I’ve about done so. As a professional cricket player, I’m constantly thinking about playing on the pitch, so maybe in a day or two I’ll have the whole rhythm of bowling. I have no excuse, regardless of the weather. I’m attempting to achieve that,” he continued.
Khaled Ahmed also discussed changes in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket system, citing the first-class team’s use of baggy caps as a move in the right direction for the national sport. He went into further detail about the projects’ wider implications for player development. I was thrilled to learn that Bangladesh was now receiving a baggy cap for the first-class team. Being a Test-playing country, it would be fantastic if our first-class cricket could be structured similarly to Test cricket.
It is really important, just as clothing is important in the game. All things considered, this initiative is commendable. According to Khaled Ahmed, “I would say that this has begun now and will continue in the future so that more new players will come up.”
He also emphasised how players might switch teams according to form and fitness with the aid of a regulated domestic system. In this case, a player from the first eleven may play in the second eleven until he regains his form and returns to the first eleven if he is hurt or goes out of form. Since our cricket is currently attempting to reach much higher levels, I would want to express my gratitude to this board for developing these things. We will elevate Test cricket to a much higher level in our nation, insha ‘Allah,” he declared.
