Khaled Ahmed eyes Afghanistan Test after county stint with Kent

Bangladesh have named pace bowler Khaled Ahmed in their Test squad for the one-off match against Afghanistan, scheduled from October 9 to 13, 2026, at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The squad was announced on September 19, 2026.

Khaled's inclusion follows his stint with Kent in the 2026 County Championship, where he picked up 16 wickets across three matches. Kent secured promotion to Division One for the 2027 season, finishing in second place behind Division Two winners Durham. His last Test appearance for Bangladesh came on June 28, 2026, against Zimbabwe.

"When I started playing cricket as a child, when I started understanding cricket, I had a dream that one day I would play in a franchise 4-day or franchise T20 league. So English cricket was very good for me. When I got the opportunity, I was very happy," Khaled said, speaking to Cricbuzz.

How did Khaled Ahmed find his county experience with Kent?

Khaled represented Kent in the 2026 County Championship and described the stint as a valuable period of adjustment and growth. He acknowledged that settling into English conditions took time, particularly because of the cold weather, but said the environment in the dressing room was welcoming.

"The experience was, Alhamdulillah, very good. I had been out of the game for a long time. Then an opportunity came and I agreed to play in the county. So after going there, initially it was a little difficult to adjust to the cold. But when I started playing, Alhamdulillah, it went well," Ahmed said.

Khaled also noted that he did not feature in Kent's first match after arriving, with the captain and coaches advising him to take time to settle before playing. Now preparing for the Abu Dhabi heat after his England stint, Khaled acknowledged the contrast in conditions.

"I haven't played a single match since I left. Then I did not play the first game after reaching there and the captain and the coaches were telling me that you're coming, there's a matter of adjusting here after you come. So you try to adjust here. You'll continue playing from the next match. Not only playing, but outside of playing, I'm having a lot of fun with them in the dressing room. They were very friendly," he said.

"As a professional cricketer, you have to adjust everywhere. As I told you before, after I went to England, I feel like adjusting to the cold. So, of course, it's hot here in Dubai and so I have to adjust. “It will be a problem if you keep that in mind, the heat. I'm trying to adjust and I'm bowling today, plus running yesterday, so I've almost adjusted. Maybe in a day or two, I'll get the full rhythm in bowling and I have no excuse whether it's hot or cold, nothing like that because as a professional cricketer, I'm always thinking about playing cricket on the field. So that's what I'm trying to do," he added.

What is Khaled Ahmed's view on Bangladesh's domestic cricket structure?

Khaled also shared his thoughts on developments in Bangladesh's domestic cricket setup, particularly the introduction of baggy caps for the first-class team, which he described as a positive step for the country's cricket. He elaborated on the broader significance of such initiatives for player development.

"When I heard that Bangladesh is now being given a baggy cap for the first-class team, I was very excited. Since we are a Test-playing nation, if our first-class cricket could be organised like Test cricket, it would be very good. It matters a lot, like clothes, it matters a lot, in the game, it matters a lot. Overall, it can be said that this is a good initiative. I would say that this thing has started now and that it will continue in the future so that more new players will come up," Khaled said.

He also highlighted how a structured domestic system could help players move between squads based on form and fitness.

"Here, if a player gets injured or a player goes out of form, then from here, that player from the first eleven can go to the second eleven and play, regain his form and come back to the first eleven. I mean, I would like to thank this board a lot for creating these things, because now our cricket is trying to go much higher. InshaAllah, we will take Test cricket to a much higher level in our country," he said.