Afghanistan's Unexpected Shift on BCCI: Opting for Greater Noida After Disarray and Rejection Accusations

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended a helping hand to Afghanistan by offering venues in northern Indian cities like Lucknow and Dehradun for training and hosting matches. This gesture comes as a relief for the Afghan cricket team, allowing them to continue playing the sport despite the challenges in their home nation.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) officials have been cautious about criticism, fearing it could spoil relations with the BCCI, but said they were disappointed.

“You won’t believe me but the stadia in Afghanistan have better facilities than this one. We have improved our infrastructure in the past few years. Our first choice was the Lucknow stadium and the second was Dehradun. Our requests were rejected by the BCCI and we were told that both the states are hosting their respective T20 leagues. This was the only ground available and we had no other choice left," an ACB official was quoted as saying.

But after the second day's play was scrapped, Afghanistan officials spoke officially to reporters.

"Everyone, including the ground authorities, have worked hard," Menhajuddin Naz, the ACB international cricket manager, told reporters. "Even if it had been any other venue, they would have struggled to get it back on time."

Naz said they had been offered to host the Test in the northern city of Kanpur or the southern city of Bengaluru but had opted for Greater Noida.

"We chose Greater Noida as it was most convenient in terms of logistics. It was closer to Delhi and also connectivity from Kabul was better," said Naz.

Efforts to dry the pitch at the Greater Noida ground for the Afghanistan-New Zealand one-off Test, were unsuccessful, leading to a second consecutive day of play being called off. Ground staff used electric fans to dry the wet patches, covered areas of the pitch, and even dug up and refilled a wet outfield area with dry soil and fresh turf. Despite these efforts, umpires deemed the conditions unplayable, leading one official to describe the situation as "a huge mess".

The venue, hosting its first Test, has faced criticism for its basic drainage system and inadequate facilities. Persistent rain from the monsoon season has left the outfield soaked, despite sunshine on Monday and Tuesday. New Zealand, who were unable to train ahead of the Test, set up nets on the ground and conducted drills, while Afghanistan has previously hosted several international matches at this venue since 2017.

There has been no public reaction from Tim Southee's New Zealand, who will next travel to Sri Lanka for two Tests before returning for three more against India.