AFG vs NZ: Gary Stead, Jonathan Trott angry after one-off Test gets abandoned, share 'frustrating' experience

New Zealand National Cricket Team coach Gary Stead talked about the one-off Test against Afghanistan National Cricket Team that got washed out. He said that it was frustrating for them and they had a massive opportunity to play against the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side and prepare for the upcoming series.

In what was a frustrating Test match for both New Zealand and Afghanistan, the one-off game between the two ends ended up without a single ball being bowled. The rain gods didn't favor the teams as all 5 days of the game were washed out, making players and management of both teams frustrated.

This was the first ever Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand. Both the teams prepared pretty well for the game but only to see the game between the teams becoming the eighth game in the history of the longest format of the game to be abandoned without a ball bowled.

New Zealand National Cricket Team head coach Gary Stead admitted that they were excited to take on Afghanistan in their first-ever game. Gary Stead admitted that playing against the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side would've made them match-ready for the Sri Lanka Tests, where they can bag important World Test Championship points.

Gary Stead also mentioned that it was a massive opportunity for them to play the unique Afghanistan bowlers. He also talked about how the massive rains and thunderstorms didn't allow the game to happen even after conditions looked good after the first two days. Speaking to reporters, Gary Stead explained:

"It's frustrating for us. It was our first Test match against Afghanistan and we were excited about that as well. They've been great competitors of ours over the last few World Cups as well. We've had some great games of cricket. For us, we have the World Test Championship just around the corner in Sri Lanka as well.

"So, the preparation towards that would have been really useful for us as well. And the most disappointing part for us is that we've lost that ability to be match-hardened and match-ready when we go into our Test match next week."

"It was an opportunity to play Afghanistan. It doesn't come around that often. They have some unique bowlers in that as well. It's always good to get your head around how you face them and the way they play is a little bit different to other countries.

"Yeah, look, I mean, it's worth noting, I think, it's been 1200 millimetres of rain in the last week, and even though it was fine for those two days, there were thunderstorms the nights before, and the ground was just too soft and the umpires deemed that unfit to play on. So that's, sort of, out of the player's hands in a way as well," Gary Stead said.

Jonathan Trott also on the same page with Gary Stead, says it would have been a good contest

Afghanistan National Cricket head coach Jonathan Trott also talked about the Test match being called off, saying that it would've been a great Test match because it was a good pitch. He admitted that although they were keen to play, the safety of the players was important as well, and they didn't want players to get injured.

Jonathan Trott added that they now want to focus on the South Africa ODIs and the Champions Trophy 2025. He also claimed that the facilities at the stadium disappointed them as well. Jonathan Trott elaborated:

"The real sad thing is, I think, it was going to be a really good pitch and it would have been a good contest, which is a disappointing thing. So, that's the most disheartening thing, I suppose, for all of us. There were a few things discussed, but we looked at the ground today, and it was never really going to be attainable, unfortunately. There's obviously a huge desire to play cricket but the safety of the players - because New Zealand have got huge tours coming up - unfortunately, you've got to take that into account.

"So as much as we want to play cricket, we don't want anything to go wrong. We have an important ODI series against South Africa and a few more before the Champions Trophy. I think it's a case of time of the year.

"To try and play a Test match this time of year is always tricky. The facilities... obviously disappointed that we haven't been able to play, and the amount of water that's come down is unprecedented for this time of year or the last three days I think it's a case of time of the year. To try and play a Test match this time of year is always tricky.

"The facilities... obviously disappointed that we haven't been able to play and the amount of water that's come down is unprecedented for this time of year or the last three days," Jonathan Trott concluded.