Afghanistan cling on for Abu Dhabi draw, West Indies reshuffle for Bangladesh — cricket digest 14 Oct 2026

· Cricombo Editorial

Afghanistan bat out 92 overs to draw in Abu Dhabi as Atal leads the resistance

Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah called the Abu Dhabi Test draw against Bangladesh “equal to a win” after his side survived 92 overs on the final day to shut the door on a result. It marked Afghanistan’s first non-defeat against a World Test Championship team since beating Bangladesh in 2019 (excluding the 2024 washout against New Zealand).

Sediqullah Atal was central to the escape, batting for more than eight-and-a-half hours for 111 off 332 balls, with coach Richard Pybus praising the work he has put in early in his Test career. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto pointed to missed chances, but Afghanistan’s tail held firm too: Qais Ahmad and Yamin Ahmadzai stayed in to finish the job, with Qais even finding time for three sixes late on.

West Indies leave out Alzarri Joseph and rest Shai Hope for Bangladesh Tests; Wickham earns first call-up

West Indies will tour Bangladesh for two Tests later this month without Alzarri Joseph, who has been withdrawn after medical assessment as CWI looks to manage his workload, and without Shai Hope, who has been rested with the ODI World Cup qualifiers in February 2027 in mind. Keemo Paul comes in as Joseph’s replacement.

The 15-man squad includes a maiden Test call-up for 23-year-old Kevin Wickham after three centuries in three innings in the West Indies Championship, while opener John Campbell returns after recovering from a hamstring injury. The series begins in Dhaka on October 28, following a three-day warm-up match from October 22 to 24.

Bavuma targets quick South Africa response after Durban defeat ends unbeaten run

Temba Bavuma said South Africa had “obvious things we could improve on” after their defeat to Australia in Durban brought his unbeaten run as Test captain to an end. He admitted the disappointment was still raw, particularly after South Africa had Australia 124 for 6 on the first day before Matt Renshaw’s partnerships with Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon swung the match.

Bavuma felt the innings drifted as the ball softened and the pitch flattened, and conceded South Africa did not make enough of decent batting conditions later in the game. He also acknowledged “soft dismissals” in his side’s first-innings effort, including his own, as they look to regroup for the rest of the series.

Australia bowl again in Brisbane as Litchfield sits out; Bangladesh hand Biswas ODI debut

Australia chose to bowl for the third straight match against Bangladesh in Brisbane, with Tahlia McGrath citing a fresh pitch at Allan Border Field. Phoebe Litchfield was ruled out with a hip complaint, bringing Nicola Carey into the XI, while Beth Mooney is set to open in her 100th ODI.

Bangladesh, who would also have preferred to bowl first, made three changes as they search for a first win of the series. Seam-bowling allrounder Disha Biswas debuted, with Murshida Khatun and Sultana Khatun also coming in, replacing Nahida Akter, Fargana Hoque and Marufa Akter.

Allan Donald joins Joburg Super Kings as SA20 bowling coach

Joburg Super Kings have appointed Allan Donald as their bowling coach for SA20 2027, with Donald set to work under Albie Morkel, who has been promoted to head coach. Donald replaces Eric Simons, who will move into Stephen Fleming’s backroom staff in England.

JSK have also brought in Pierre de Bruyn as fielding coach and Evan Speechly as physiotherapist, replacing Tommy Simsek. The SA20 season begins on January 17, 2027, and runs through to the final in Cape Town on February 21.

In brief

  • Josh Hazlewood took a six-for as Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs in Durban after setting a 421-run target.
  • Shaun Pollock urged teams not to be “scared” of using a pink ball in Tests at venues where bad light can regularly cut playing time.
  • Kusal Mendis made 87* as Sri Lanka chased 168 for 8 to beat Pakistan by eight wickets with 17 balls to spare in the third T20I.
  • Sri Lanka chose to bowl against Pakistan in the third T20I, with Pakistan making four changes including bringing in Razaullah, Arafat Minhas, Sufiyan Moqim and Abdul Samad.
  • England rested Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Sonny Baker for next month’s T20Is in Australia as they manage workloads with an eye on the ODI World Cup and the South Africa tour.
  • Grant Flower is leaving Sussex to join Surrey’s coaching staff as an assistant coach, citing Sussex’s financial situation as a major factor.
  • Delhi Capitals confirmed Yuvraj Singh as assistant and batting coach for IPL 2027, working alongside head coach Sourav Ganguly.
  • Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre suffered a Grade 4 right hamstring tear in the Ranji Trophy and is expected to be out for a month.
  • Tilak Varma said he is “enjoying” his middle-order role for India even though he prefers batting at No. 3.
  • India’s handling of Nitish Kumar Reddy’s role was in focus as he remains a key figure in the build-up to next year’s World Cup amid Hardik Pandya’s fitness concerns.
  • India and West Indies head to Hyderabad expecting another high-scoring pitch as the five-match T20I series continues.
  • Annabel Sutherland and Megan Schutt rose to fourth and fifth in the ICC ODI bowlers’ rankings, with Ellyse Perry also returning to the top ten among ODI batters.
  • Hugh Weibgen’s 103 helped Queensland make 261 and beat Western Australia by 15 runs in the One-Day Cup.
  • Will Prestwidge struck 71 as Tasmania made 203 and beat New South Wales by 57 runs (DLS method) in a rain-hit One-Day Cup match.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo