Afghanistan vs New Zealand Greater Noida Test Abandoned Without A Ball Bowled, First Since 1998

The one-off Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Greater Noida was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The Afghanistan vs New Zealand one-off Test match did not even see the captain's coming out for toss.

Source : Sports Live/ABP Live

The Afghanistan vs Greater Noida Test match has been called off without a ball being bowled ahead of the scheduled start of Day 5. The lone Test has become the eighth match in the history of Test cricket in which no play was possible over the course of five days and the first such Test since the India vs New Zealand Test in Carisbrook, Dunedin.

Overall, the only Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test, the first-ever Test match between the two nations, became the eighth Test to be called off without a ball being bowled. Despite not a single drop of rain on the first two days, the Greater Noida Stadium authority failed to get the ground up and running for the match, attracting severe criticism for lack of facilities and mismanagement on the part of the venue.

The highly anticipated #AFGvNZ Test match was called off without a ball being bowled due to persistent rains in Greater Noida.

While the inaugural #AFGvNZ Test didn’t proceed as expected, #AfghanAtalan look forward to engaging in more bilateral cricket with @BLACKCAPS in future. pic.twitter.com/zSVE5Hn2cF

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 13, 2024

Afghanistan To Play South Africa Next

Even though the Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test could not go begin, Afghanistan's next cricketing assignment is a three-match ODI series against South Africa. All the three fixtures are scheduled at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah, UAE with Afghanistan being the designated home team.

Notably, Afghanistan were also the home team of the washed out Greater Noida Test with several reports suggesting that the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) were offered three venue choices but them choosing this venue to cut down logistical costs. This was the first Test assignned to this venue and its future as an international venue looks bleak with all eyes on match referee Javagal Srinath's report.