Afghanistan Asked Noida As Venue for Test Match Against New Zealand, BCCI Not at Fault

Prepend to the Content

Read Original Content: Afghanistan Asked Noida As Venue for Test Match Against New Zealand, BCCI Not at Fault

The second day of the one-off Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand was called off due to a wet outfield, despite no rain. 

The highly anticipated one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand, scheduled to begin on September 9 in Greater Noida, has experienced unexpected delays, even though rain was forecast. 

The match, which marks the stadium’s first as a Test venue, hasn’t seen any play, with the toss on Day 1 being postponed due to an unfit outfield, not because of rain. 

Although rain stayed away on Day 2, the playing conditions remained unfavourable. The New Zealand team was spotted practising on the field, and the groundsmen were seen attempting various methods to improve the situation, but the outfield’s poor condition led to the second day being called off as well. 

Since this incident, rumours have circulated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is responsible and should be blamed for choosing Noida as the venue for Afghanistan’s Test match, but the truth is quite different. 

The Afghanistan Cricket Board specifically requested the BCCI to assign them the ground in Greater Noida due to its proximity to Delhi, which provides better accessibility to Kabul. In fact, the BCCI had offered them Bangalore, Kanpur, and Noida as potential venues for the match. 

“Kanpur, Bengaluru and Greater Noida were the three venues offered by the BCCI, and we chose Greater Noida because it’s closer to Delhi and connectivity from Kabul is better,” ACB official Mehnazuddin Raz said. 

Noida Stadium Unfit for Hosting Test Matches 

The stadium’s inadequate drainage system has sparked serious questions about its infrastructure. While rain delays are a regular occurrence in cricket, many modern stadiums have advanced solutions to limit delays. The Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex’s inability to manage the situation has delayed the match and raised doubts about its capability to host a Test match.

Read Original Content: Afghanistan Asked Noida As Venue for Test Match Against New Zealand, BCCI Not at Fault

ProBatsman