Is the Afghanistan vs New Zealand match still possible?

After the third day was called off due to persistent rain at the Greater Noida cricket stadium without a toss, the one-off Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand has become a topic of discussion in the cricketing world. Questions are being raised about whether the match can proceed in the remaining days of the series, or if both teams will head home disappointed by the inadequate conditions caused by India's monsoon season.

Following the cancellation of another day in this 5-day Test match, both teams remained in their hotels. Despite the rain, the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the BCCI have been working to improve the ground conditions, though the outlook for further play remains bleak due to the continuing bad weather.

Concerns have also been raised regarding the venue's readiness to host such a significant Test match, with doubts surfacing about whether the ground was adequately prepared for these conditions.

In a recent statement on their Twitter handle, the Afghanistan Cricket Board expressed disappointment with the below-average facilities at the stadium, particularly given that this was Afghanistan’s first-ever Test match against the inaugural World Test Champions.

Talking about this event, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has recently released a statement on their Twitter handle also known as X on the below-average facility of the stadium. Irrespective of knowing that it will be the first Test match for the Afghanistan team which will be played against the inaugural editions World Test Champions. 

We considered three potential venues in India - Bengaluru, Kanpur, and Greater Noida. Unfortunately, the other two were unavailable due to BCCI's domestic matches, and the UAE's extreme heat made it unsuitable for hosting a Test match. Given New Zealand's busy schedule, we chose Greater Noida to ensure this important fixture takes place.

It's currently monsoon season in India, and persistent raining has affected India's domestic competitions as well. While we can't control the weather, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has provided us with additional machinery, and further efforts are underway to make the conditions ideal for the game to start. According to the curators and ground staff at Delhi Cricket Stadium, persistent rains over the past few days have also disrupted India's domestic competitions. They mentioned that while they usually host matches during this time of year, this is the first time that most of the games are being washed out due to such heavy rainfall.

It's important to understand that the Future Tours Program (FTP) is typically planned five years in advance, which makes it nearly impossible to predict future circumstances with complete certainty.

After the third day of the Test match was called off, the game between Afghanistan and New Zealand remains highly doubtful. Continuous rain has caused the first three days to be abandoned without any playa. Despite efforts to improve the outfield with additional machinery and covers, the weather has not improved. The outlook for the remaining days is grim, with further rain predicted, making it likely that the entire match will be washed out.

While the match could theoretically resume if the weather clears, it seems increasingly unlikely at this stage. If the game cannot proceed, both teams will receive 4 points each in the World Test Championship standings.

After this series, the New Zealand team will be coming back to India again in October to play a 3-Tets match series against the Indian team.