"We will never come here again", Afghanistan team expresses displeasure over Noida stadium facilities

The Afghanistan national cricket team has expressed dissatisfaction with the facilities at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium in Greater Noida, their chosen venue for the one-off Test against New Zealand. 

The match, originally scheduled to commence on September 9th (Monday), had its opening day washed out due to a wet outfield and persistent rain. Unfortunately, the match was also halted on the second day due to persistent showers and wet outfield.

Despite extensive preparations at the venue, the Afghanistan team has voiced frustration over what they perceive as inadequate facilities. According to the media reports, the team has formally announced that they will not play at this stadium again. 

A source close to the Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed that future matches will be relocated to Lucknow due to ongoing mismanagement and lack of essential amenities at the current venue.

“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. Even the players are not happy with training facilities and everything,” ACB official said.

Afghanistan is set to face the New Zealand cricket team for the first time in Test cricket, marking their 10th Test match in their history. While Afghanistan has yet to make a significant impact in the longest format of the game, their performance in ODIs and T20s has been notable. 

Under the captaincy of Hashmatullah Shahidi, the team has secured 2 wins out of 9 Test matches, with victories against Bangladesh and Ireland. With a recent win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan will enter this one-off Test with high confidence, aiming to improve their Test record and make history.

Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, ahead of the game, emphasized the importance of finding a stable and favorable venue for the team. 

"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," Shahidi said.

"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," he concluded.