The Greater Noida Sports Complex Stadium which is hosting the Afghanistan vs New Zealand one-off Test match has become the centre of attraction in the cricketing fraternity. The toss in the match is yet to commence and the play was called off for the third straight time on day 3. The ground conditions haven't been as per the expectations of the players and the drainage system has been a major reason as the match has not yet begun. AFG vs NZ One-Off Test 2024: Day Three of Afghanistan-New Zealand Match Abandoned Due to Rain.

Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi while speaking to the reporters extended his inputs about playing in India. Shahidi stated that India has been the second home for the Afghani team and added that other teams have played more cricket than us in the country. The Afghani captain later said that he believes that whenever they play next in India they get a better venue if they have to stick to one stadium. Muhammad Asghar Castles Babar Azam During a Practice Match Ahead of Pakistan's Champions One-Day Cup 2024, Video Goes Viral.

Hashmatullah Shahidi said,  “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. 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. Hopefully, the ACB and the BCCI will get us a good venue."

As quoted by Indian Express, an Afghanistan Cricket Board official stated that the stadiums in Afghanistan have better facilities than the Greater Noida Sports Complex. He said, "You won’t believe me but the stadiums in Afghanistan have better facilities than this one. We have improved our infrastructure in the past few years but here as Shahidi has mentioned nothing has changed."

Afghanistan have been playing cricket and hosting other cricketing nations for a long time in India. They have played in Lucknow and Greater Noida so far, and are scheduled to host matches in Kanpur as well. Greater Noida has not hosted any international matches for a while, which might be a major reason behind the poor match facilities.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2024 02:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).