The historic Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand has been hit by the wet conditions of Greater Noida, as despite having full effects of the sun on the opening of the game, the wet patches created by the overnight rain have spoiled the entire opening day of the game, and looks unlikely to get the toss done.
The former Sri Lankan bowler, Farveez Maharoof, who was present at the ground, reported that the edge of the square hasn’t been properly shaped, while bowling from the south end has been an issue. The groundsmen had been trying their best to put sawdust to dry those up, but it hadn’t worked much.
The Afghanistan cricket team hasn’t been happy with the lack of facilities at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium, as they have vowed not to come to the place anytime in the future, besides showing their preference for Lucknow.
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“There are no facilities. We will never come here again. Our preference will be Lucknow. There are no basic facilities. There is complete mismanagement at the venue.” An official of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) expressed to ‘Sports Tak.’ “Even the players are not happy with good, training facilities and everything.”
Hashmatullah Shahidi wants more Test opportunities for Afghanistan
When they started their journey, they weren’t such a strong side across formats, but over the years, having gotten the chances against powerful teams, the Asian country has become stronger and capable of making contests with the better teams.
In the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, under the captaincy of Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan got the better of Pakistan in Chennai and was a Glenn Maxwell-knock away from uprooting Australia in Mumbai, as they overall showed great ability with both bat and ball in hand.
Even in the recent T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and United States of America (USA), they were one of the four teams to qualify for the semifinals, having beaten the Mitchell Marsh-led side, which was a phenomenal record to have.
Shahidi, who has a Test double century representing the country in eight of their nine red-ball games, wants more exposure in the red-ball format.
“In six years, nine games is not more. We are new in this format. We need more experience. If we get more chances regularly, we will improve a lot.” The left-handed batter remarked. “It’s in the hands of the ACB and ICC. When it comes to Test cricket, some players are different from those who play in the leagues.”
The veteran also touched on how they now have a dedicated home venue in India would help them get an advantage over the opponent side.
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“India is our home, and when we host teams, other nations have played more cricket here. Hopefully, we will get a good venue here in India, and if we restrict ourselves to one venue, it will be effective for us. Hopefully, the ACB and the BCCI will get us a good venue.” The middle-order batter shared.
It’s the third Test match of the year for Afghanistan, which is the most they have played in 365 days, but the captain wants to live in the time when they can play red-ball games at home, where they have better first-class records.
“If you see our records in first-class, it’s good because we play at our home ground. We know those conditions. Hopefully, in the future, there will be a time when the teams will travel to Afghanistan, and our average will be higher.” Hashmatullah Shahidi concluded.