New Delhi: The wait for action continued as the fourth day of the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was abandoned due to rain at the Shahid Vijay Pathik Sports Complex Stadium in Greater Noida.
The toss was scheduled to happen at 9 am (IST) but incessant rain continued to play spoilsport in the one-off Test. The wet conditions forced the match officials to call off the day’s play for the fourth day on the trot.
“The fourth day of the only Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand teams is also not going to be played due to continued rainfall,” the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a statement.
The ACB also said that the decision on the start of the game will be taken on September 13 morning at 8:00 following the stadium assessment.
Confusion and frustration surround the one-off Test
A combination of wet outfield, persistent rain and poor ground facilities has resulted in the abandonment of play on four successive days with a ball being bowled. The ground couldn’t be match-ready on Day 1 and Day 2 despite no rain, raising serious questions over the preparedness of the venue to host the match.
If the fifth day is also washed out the Afghanistan vs New Zealand one-off Test will become only the eighth match in the history of Test cricket that has been abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The last time it happened was in 1998 when the match between New Zealand and India was called off in this manner in Dunedin.
Despite reportedly being given a choice between Bengaluru and Kanpur to host the match, Afghanistan, the home board for this match, picked Greater Noida due to logistical reasons.
But some reports also suggested that the venue was picked to make money.
This is Afghanistan’s 10th match since receiving Test status from ICC in 2017.
This match is not a part of the ICC’s World Test Championship (WTC) cycle while this venue is not affiliated by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and comes under the Greater Noida Authority.
New Zealand’s next assignment is an away Test series in Sri Lanka. The Kiwis will fly back to India for three Tests, starting October 16 at Bengaluru.
Afghanistan vs New Zealand: The toss was scheduled to happen at 9 am (IST) but incessant rain continued to play spoilsport in the one-off Test. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
