Afghanistan vs New Zealand: Management bashed as second Test day gets called off

Two days into the match schedule, Afghanistan vs New Zealand one-off Test is yet to start. The match was scheduled to kickoff on September 9, Monday in Noida. However, following several inspections, Day 1 of the Test was called off due to a wet outfield at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium. While it didn’t rain on Monday, Noida witnessed heavy rainfall on the night prior to the match day. In what turned out to be a substandard display of the drainage system, the ground failed to maintain a condition optimal for the play to start. While it’s understandable for rain to create such disruptions in match proceedings, the fact that the stadium has now been unsuitable for play for the second day without even a drop of rain is disgraceful. 

Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test stands delayed as the ground stays unplayable

Despite a rain-free Monday, the first day of the one-off Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test was marred with not even the toss being possible. The match was postponed due to terrible conditions at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida. Issues such as inadequate drainage, a waterlogged outfield, and poor facilities resulted in the match being called off without any play. After multiple inspections, ultimately, the day was called off at around 4:00 pm with the toss postponed for Tuesday. 

Although no additional rain fell throughout the day, the lack of modern amenities hindered the ground staff's efforts to prepare the field. Despite haphazard efforts made by the ground staff, the field stayed out of contention for the game to proceed. Apart from the umpires, several New Zealand players, including captain Tim Southee and all-rounders Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra, also assessed the conditions.

Problems were particularly evident in the mid-on and mid-wicket areas, as well as several patches within the 30-yard circle. Despite bright sunshine at one point, hopes for the match to commence were dashed when Kane Williamson hesitated at the pitch around 2 p.m. IST. Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott also expressed his dissatisfaction as the groundsmen struggled. Despite the match being hindered big time, the Super Soppers were only put into use after 1 pm. In a deplorable display of the facilities available at the ground the ground staff was witnessed using table fans to dry the ground for Afghanistan's practice sessions. While the issue has been highlighted now, the conditions at the Noida stadium didn’t allow even a training session for the Kiwis ahead of the one-off Test.

Moreover, the lack of adequate facilities extended beyond the pitch, affecting operations off the field. The venue was poorly equipped with no dedicated media stand or proper seating for fans. Accredited media members faced significant inconveniences, such as limited water supply, lack of power, and no access to female washrooms. Fans were left in the dark due to the absence of a public announcement system. Moreover, in a video making rounds on the internet, a catering staff of the stadium was seen washing utensils in the washroom.

Afghanistan raged over the subpar conditions at the Noida Stadium

With the issue now in everyone’s notice, the Communication and management between the stadium authorities and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) were notably poor pertaining to the situation of the ground. ACB has come up with a scathing statement after facing aggravating hindrance to their game.

“This is a huge mess, we are never coming back here. The players are also unhappy with the facilities here," an ACB official said. "We had spoken with the concerned people well in advance and were assured by the stadium guys that everything will be in order," he added.

“Nothing has changed since we came here. It's not improved one bit," another ACB official expressed. 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," he added.

The Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test is not a part of the WTC Cycle. With Afghanistan gaining the status of a Test playing nation only in 2017, the team is yet not included in the WTC proceedings. However, the one-off match, if manages to get underway will help New Zealand get a hold on the subcontinent conditions before they get going with the Test series against Sri Lanka and India.