AFG vs NZ | Afghanistan Cricket Board releases statement after Greater Noida outfield debacle

Debayan Sinha

ByDebayan Sinha, SportsCafe Editor

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Afghanistan Cricket Board has released a statement addressing the issues with rain and wet conditions in Greater Noida. Afghanistan was set to host New Zealand for a one-off Test match, but continuous rainfall resulted in a soaked outfield, leading to the cancellation of the third day in a row.

‌Cricket fans had eagerly anticipated the third day of the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand, following the washout of the first two days due to a wet outfield. Interestingly, there was no rain during the daytime on both Day 1 and Day 2, but a heavy downpour began the previous evening and persisted into the morning, worsening the already fragile conditions. Without waiting for the day to unfold, match officials decided to call off the third day at around 9:15 AM.

Amid the situation, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) stated that questions arose regarding the BCCI's decision to host the match at Greater Noida during the monsoon season. The timing and location of the game have sparked criticism, as weather conditions were always likely to be an issue. The statement read, “It’s currently monsoon season in India, and persistent rain has affected India’s domestic competitions as well. While we can’t control the weather, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has provided us with additional machinery, and further efforts are underway to make the conditions ideal for the game to start.”

Earlier, the ACB had considered Dehradun, Lucknow, and Greater Noida as potential venues for the Test. However, the first two options were unavailable due to BCCI’s domestic fixtures, while the intense heat in the UAE made it an impractical choice for hosting a Test match. With New Zealand's packed schedule, the ACB ultimately selected Greater Noida to ensure that this crucial fixture could be played

Talking about the rains and ground conditions, ACB said that the rains have affected the domestic season and mentioned, “ Persistent rains over the past few days have also disrupted India’s domestic competitions. They mentioned that while they usually host matches during this time of year, this is the first time that most of the games are being washed out due to such heavy rainfall.” 

All attention now shifts to the fourth day of the match, with hopes that the weather will allow some cricketing action to unfold. However, with rain still in the forecast, the likelihood of any play seems increasingly uncertain.

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