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The highly anticipated one-off Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand is teetering on the brink of a historic washout, marred by persistent rain and the resulting unplayable conditions. The match, a landmark event in cricketing history, has been plagued by consistent rain, forcing officials to call off play before the scheduled time on Thursday, marking the second consecutive day of inactivity. The match, a first-ever encounter between the two nations, faces the grim reality of being abandoned without a single ball bowled, a fate shared by only seven matches in the history of Test cricket, the last occurrence being in 1998, also involving New Zealand.
The persistent downpour, even though relatively lighter on Day 4, has revealed a lack of preparedness at the Greater Noida stadium. The majority of the ground remained covered despite the light rain, and the outfield was marred by puddles, highlighting inadequate drainage infrastructure. This situation echoes the opening two days where ground staff struggled to dry the wet patches, resorting to using electric fans and even resorting to digging up and refilling wet areas with dry soil and fresh turf. An ACB official, in a damning assessment, labeled the situation a “huge mess.”
The ACB had reportedly requested a venue shift to either Lucknow or Dehradun, however, the BCCI rejected this proposal, offering alternative venues like Bengaluru and Kanpur. However, Menhajuddin Naz, the ACB international cricket manager, stated that the selection of the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida was driven by logistical considerations. This statement further highlights the lack of preparedness and the potential misjudgment regarding the suitability of the venue.
In the face of mounting criticism and allegations of mismanagement, the venue manager of the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, speaking to Radio channel 93.5 Red FM, defended the stadium, attributing the issues to the heavy rainfall and dismissing the criticism as content-driven. He emphasized that the Afghanistan team had arrived on August 30 and had played a three-day intra-squad match from September 1-2, where they had scored over 300 runs. The manager claimed that the pitch was delivered in accordance with coach Jonathan Trott’s requirements. He argued that the closest stadium to Greater Noida, the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, had also experienced heavy rain, leading to cancellations of DPL 2024 matches. The manager asserted that the intensity of the rainfall was so heavy that the water penetrated the covers, despite enveloping the entire ground.
The manager further emphasized that Afghanistan was not unfamiliar with the Greater Noida stadium, having used it as their home venue for three years, implying they should have been aware of the potential for rain and trained accordingly. He questioned the rationale behind Afghanistan approving the venue if they were unaware of its limitations regarding weather conditions. The stadium manager’s defensive stance highlights the complexities of managing a major sporting event amidst unpredictable weather conditions. The focus now shifts to the extent of the damage caused by the rain and the possibility of salvaging any meaningful play in the remaining time of the match. The fate of the Afghanistan-New Zealand Test hangs precariously in the balance, leaving fans and cricketing enthusiasts anxiously awaiting the outcome.