Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced their one-off Test match against New Zealand in September, which will be the first time both these teams face each other in the longest format of the game. This will also be the 10th red-ball game for the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side.
In their last game of the format, which took place at the Tolerance Oval ground against Ireland, Afghanistan was handed over a six-wicket defeat, as their batting failed on both innings. Their last victory in this format came against Zimbabwe in 2021 in Abu Dhabi, where overall they have recorded three victories in nine clashes.
Their Test against New Zealand is likely to be from September 09 to 13, which is around a month before the latter tours India, where they will face the blue brigade for three Tests, with the first of those games set to begin on October 16. The Blackcaps are set to tour Sri Lanka for a Test series in between, whose dates are yet to be declared.
Afghanistan to face New Zealand in their adopted home ground
The Test match will be the third one for Afghanistan in 2024, the most they would have played in a calendar year so far. It will also be the maiden Test match at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, which previously served as the country’s adopted home ground.
Also Read: Afghanistan To Deny Movement In India’s Favour For This Tournament
The ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf expressed his delight to host a quality Test side like New Zealand and hoped to come to an agreement with the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for white-ball bilateral matches in the future.
‘We are delighted to host a quality New Zealand Test team for the first time in our cricketing history.’ ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf remarked in a statement. ‘This is a testament to the hard work we have put in through numerous discussions and meetings with different boards on the sidelines of the various ICC Board Meetings.’
‘The Blackcaps are an outstanding all-format team in world cricket, and we hope to reach an agreement with New Zealand Cricket for white-ball bilateral matches in the future.’ He added.
With this Test match against the Kiwi side, only England, Australia, Pakistan, and South Africa will remain the four countries to not be involved in a Test match yet with Afghanistan. In the past, Australia had pulled out from hosting the Asia side in 2021, citing humanitarian reasons.
They also avoided the three-match T20I series which was scheduled for August this year, meaning the only game Rashid Khan’s team will play is the New Zealand Test match.
They made their first appearance in this format of the game back in 2018 against India at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, under the captaincy of Asghar Afghan, where they lost the contest by innings and 262 runs. Their very first win of the red-ball game came during the 2019 season, when they blew away Bangladesh for a 224-run victory in Chattogram, under the captaincy of Rashid Khan.
The leg spinner will have a huge role to play in the upcoming Test match against the Tim Southee-led side. In five Tests so far in his career, the 25-year-old has picked up 34 wickets at an average of 22.35 with four five-wicket hauls, besides nailing 106 runs with one half-century.
Ibrahim Zadran will have to shoulder the batting department, as he has looked in good touch in his short Test career, having collected 541 runs in seven games at an average of nearly 40, with the help of four half-centuries and one hundred.