Cricket: New Zealand v Afghanistan Test at risk of washout

Hosting New Zealand in a Test match was a big step forward for Afghanistan cricket, but poor conditions at the Greater Noida Sports Complex have left the one-off fixture in danger of being called off.

Heavy rain in India’s Uttar Pradesh region has already washed out the first two days of play.

While grounds staff have used electric fans and transplanted grass to treat the wet patches, large areas of the venue remain unsuitable for play.

“The venue is an international-standard venue,” assured the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s international cricket manager, Menhajuddin Raz.

“It has hosted around 12 games internationally. It’s not like it’s a new venue.

“It’s just the rain which has affected everything so much.

“That’s the only reason we’re not having a game on day two.”

The primary issue is that the grounds are not sand based, which would have allowed for faster and more adequate drainage.

While the pitch and inner circle are in playable conditions, much of the outfield remains slippery, posing a threat to players.

This was evidenced when Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran twisted his ankle during an earlier practice session. He is now ruled out of the Test, should it proceed.

“If it rains like this, no venue is going to be able to host a game,” Raz continued.

“The whole issue arose because of the heavy rain which has happened over the last two weeks or so.

“Even if it had been any other venue, they would have struggled to get it back on time, ready for a game of cricket.”

As a result of the conditions, cricket bookmakers have significantly shortened their odds for the match to end in a draw.

Bovada is paying just -2000 for that outcome, while a New Zealand win is at long odds of +1100.

Should the Test be washed out, it will hurt New Zealand’s chances of making the World Test Championship final.

They sit third in the 2023-2025 standings, trailing India and Australia.

To qualify for one of the top two spots and be in the running for the title, New Zealand likely need to win five of their six remaining Tests.

As three of these will be played away against India, not having the opportunity to beat Afghanistan this week would be a big blow.

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