(Source X)
In a landmark development, Afghanistan and New Zealand are poised to clash in their inaugural Test match encounter this September. Since gaining Test status in 2017, Afghanistan has participated in nine Tests, but a match against New Zealand has yet to materialize until now.
The fixture is scheduled to be held at the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida, as reported by the Times of India. Notably, while Australia has refrained from engaging in bilateral cricket with Afghanistan since 2021 due to concerns over women’s sports rights under Taliban rule, New Zealand has taken a different stance, expressing readiness to compete against Afghanistan without reservations.
BCCI gives the green signal to Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has been granted permission by the BCCI to host its home matches in India once more, marking their return after a four-year hiatus. This decision allows Afghanistan to play their home games in Greater Noida, Kanpur, and Lucknow, with Greater Noida being their venue of choice since their last match there in 2020.
“Soon after the change in Kabul in 2021, when the Taliban took over, the BCCI was the first cricket board to support Afghanistan,” a source said.
Afghanistan’s plans to host Bangladesh in Greater Noida for a comprehensive series featuring two Tests and white-ball matches in July were disrupted when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) opted to postpone the series due to adverse weather conditions in North India.
Looking ahead, New Zealand sees their upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan as crucial preparation for their upcoming three-match Test series against India, scheduled for October-November.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan is gearing up for what could be a historic victory in the Test arena against New Zealand. Following their surprising win over the Black Caps in the recent T20 World Cup, the Afghan team is eager to replicate that success and make a mark in Test cricket.
