Afghanistan to play historic Test match against New Zealand in Greater Noida: Report
Published - 23 Jul 2024, 02:56 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:16 AM
Afghanistan is reportedly set to host a one-off Test against New Zealand in September. It will be the first-ever Test between the two countries.
Since being awarded Test status in 2017, Afghanistan have played 9 Tests but are yet to play against New Zealand. And the historic moment is likely to take place in September when both the teams take on each other in the longest format of the game.
According to the Times of India, the game is scheduled to be played at the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida. The report stated that New Zealand have an entirely different stance than their neighbors Australia on playing bilateral ties against Afghanistan.
Since 2021, Australia have refused to play any bilateral match against Afghanistan on the grounds that the Taliban has imposed restrictions on female participation in sports. However, New Zealand have no problem whatsoever in playing against Afghanistan.
BCCI gives the green signal to Afghanistan:
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has once again received the green signal from the BCCI to play its home games in India. It means Afghanistan will be playing their home games in India after a gap of four years. They will be returning to Greater Noida for the first time since 2020. The report stated that the BCCI has allotted three 'home' venues to Afghanistan- Greater Noida, Kanpur, and Lucknow.
"Soon after the change in Kabul in 2021, when the Taliban took over, the BCCI was the first cricket board to support Afghanistan," a source said.
Afghanistan were also due to host Bangladesh in Greater Noida for a full-fledged series consisting of two Tests as well as white-ball games in July. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to postpone the series due to the weather conditions in North India.
As far as New Zealand are concerned, the one-off Test against Afghanistan will give them an ideal opportunity to prepare for the three-match Test series against India. The series is scheduled to take place in October - November.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan will be eyeing a historic win when they take on New Zealand in the Test. The Afghan outfit had inflicted a shock defeat on the Black Caps in the T20 World Cup last month and will be looking to stun them once again.
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