 "The first two days of the Afghanistan-New Zealand Test in Greater Noida have been washed out due to wet outfield. PTI")
Afghanistan have defended Greater Noida as the choice of venue for the one-off Test against New Zealand that has been marred by rain across the first two days, on Monday and Tuesday. Both days have been washed out due to a wet outfield at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium in Greater Noida, with the toss yet to happen.
The venue has thus faced criticism for its below-par drainage system as well as unsatisfactory facilities , and having said that, it did not rain much on Tuesday . Afghanistan’s international cricket manager, Menhaj Raz, noted that Greater Noida has hosted international teams like Zimbabwe and Ireland previously, thus choosing to go with the venue.
He added that apart from Noida, Bengaluru was another venue that the BCCI had given them as an option. “We got a couple of options from BCCI and we decided to settle down with Greater Noida because this was one of the best logistical options for us, as it is just around a two-hour drive from Delhi airport,” Raz told reporters on Tuesday.
Akbar Paktian, Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) commercial manager, stated that Afghanistan had played a three-day practice match against a domestic team that went without any difficulty. The locals had informed the team management that monsoon usually ends by mid-August, but an extended monsoon put the team in a spot of bother.
Raz hailed the ground staff for giving it their best, but said that the rain was “beyond anyone’s control”. “The ground staff and local authorities are doing their utmost, but this unfortunate rain is beyond anyone’s control,” he said. He mentioned that the delays were due to “an act of God”.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWeather and outfield permitting, the toss will now take place at 9 am on Wednesday. The match is scheduled to begin at 9.30 am.