Wet outfield & poor facilities mar Day 1 of Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test

Day 1 of the Afghanistan vs New Zealand one-off Test was called off without toss due to a wet outfield at Sahid Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium in Greater Noida on Monday. Despite bright sunshine, the match officials did not deem the conditions fit for play. Persistent inclement weather over the past ten days left the outfield unplayable on Day 1.

There was no sign of rainfall on Monday, but the poor condition of the ground disappointed fans who had been waiting eagerly for the action to begin. However, after six inspections (at 10 AM, 11:30 AM, 1 PM, 2 PM, 3 PM, and 4:30 PM), the match officials declared the outfield unsuitable for play on Day 1.

 

According to Afghanistan Cricket Board, the hosts for the series, the toss will take place at 9 AM IST on Day 2, with the game starting at 9:30 AM IST. The ACB further stated that a 98-over game would take place September 10 (Day 2 of the Test match).

Poor ground conditions at Sahid Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium

Sahid Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium last hosted an international game in 2017, when Afghanistan hosted Ireland for five-match ODI series.

Later that year, in September 2017, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) banned the stadium due to match-fixing during corporate matches, according to a news report in The Hindu. The ban still remains in place, and the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association does not manage the venue.

Afghanistan's officials, who arrived days two days before the Test, noted that players were dissatisfied with the facilities at the stadium. An Afghanistan official stated, "The players are not happy with the facilities at the stadium. They may not return to this venue in the future."

Kane Williamson inspecting wet patches at Greater Noida Stadium

Another official who was part of Afghanistan Cricket Board in 2017 noted that nothing has changed at this venue in seven years.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan captain Hasmatullah Shahidi voiced his concerns, one the eve of the Test and requested better venues from both the BCCI and the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

"India is our home, and when we host teams, other nations have played more cricket here. Hopefully, we will get a good venue in India. If we restrict ourselves to one venue, it will be effective for us. Hopefully, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the BCCI will secure a good venue for us," Shahidi said while addressing the media.

Lack of basic facilities at the stadium

The Greater Noida Stadium has only one concrete struture which also have pavillion, broadcasters, umpires and VVIP lounge. With ICC Anti-corruption rule in place during a Test match, the struture has been demarcated as Prime focas Area, Zone 1, and no body is allowed to enter that space except players, match referees and umpires.

The specially demarcated area is usually in place during an international match or ICC affiliated tournaments in order to restrict the common public movement. 
 

With only one concrete structure at place, the fans seemed clueless over the lack of facilities. A fan who came to watch from Muzzafarnagar claimed there didn't had clue where the washrooms were. There were also lack of vendors in and around the ground.


A majority of the crowd, present from 9 AM IST, had no access to public announcements and they had to rely on online apps for match situation. Although sound system testing occurred at 9:30 AM IST, it was not used during any of the six inspections.

Many spectators left the stadium around 3:30 PM IST after the sixth and final inspection was pushed to 4:30 PM IST.