Afghanistan-N Zealand Test: Rains expose ill-equipped venue

Persistent rain washed out the first three days of the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand, which was to start on September 9 in Greater Noida. 

Damp ground conditions, coupled with rains, have cast doubt on the possibility of the match’s resumption on the last two days. Experts have blamed the inadequate drainage system at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex for the loss. 

The sports complex, owned and managed by the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, is ill-equipped to handle such matches. With no regular first class or official fixtures, the venue has limited ground staff. 

“The drainage here is inadequate. Unlike, for example, Ferozeshah Kotla in Delhi, the water just didn’t clear the outfield. They also lack proper ground covers,” former India pace bowler and TV commentator Atul Wassan told Patriot. 

A source revealed that when the ground authorities checked the weather forecast, “it showed no rain during the Test.” 

He added that, unlike in previous seasons, the ground staff, perhaps relying on that forecast, did not drill holes in the outfield to fill them with fine sand, a routine part of the drainage system. This led to stagnant water after the rain. 

In a media release following the second consecutive washout, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) refrained from assigning blame on anyone and expressed hope that play would resume soon. 

“We considered three potential venues in India – Dehradun, Lucknow, and Greater Noida,” the ACB said in a statement on the night of September 10. 

“Unfortunately, the other two were unavailable due to BCCI’s domestic matches, and the extreme heat in the UAE made it unsuitable for hosting a Test match. Given New Zealand’s busy schedule, we chose Greater Noida to ensure this important fixture could take place.” 

Scheduling a Test match in north India during the rainy season is perplexing, given the well-known risks. However, it seems budget constraints prevented the ACB from selecting a more suitable venue. 

“I heard they approached Bangalore’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, but the rent was reportedly too high for the ACB to afford, so they didn’t pursue that venue,” a source said. 

Also Read: Afghanistan’s match at Greater Noida stadium set to create records

Devender Kumar, an expert on Afghanistan cricket and a TV commentator, explained that Afghanistan chose Greater Noida for valid reasons. 

“They are familiar with the venue, having played international matches here a few years ago. They also believed the large Afghan population in Delhi would turn up to support the team,” he told Patriot. 

If the match is cancelled, Afghanistan’s cricketers will miss out on valuable experience in the highest form of the game. 

This was set to be Afghanistan’s 10th Test in seven years since gaining Test status in 2017, far fewer than other Test-playing nations. 

One of the key reasons is that teams have not toured Afghanistan due to political and security concerns, forcing the ACB to stage their ‘home’ matches in India, the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Qatar. 

(The writer is a senior journalist based in Delhi and has covered sports for over three decades.)