NEW DELHI: Match referee Javagal Srinath’s report on the preparedness of Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida will go a long way in deciding the fate of the venue after the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand failed to get underway on the second day, Tuesday, because of a wet outfield.

The fact that no cricket has been played over the first two days, despite just one brief spell of rain on Monday, underlines how inadequately prepared the ground was to host this Test.

New Zealand arrived in the afternoon for a brief practice session but avoided the outfield, instead opting to stay on one of the practice pitches.

Afghanistan didn’t turn up on the second day. They’ve already suffered a setback, with Ibrahim Zadran ruled out after sustaining an ankle sprain after slipping on the wet outfield on match eve.

Menhajuddin Naz, the international cricket manager at Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), stated that they were offered three venues — Kanpur, Bengaluru, and Greater Noida — by the BCCI. They opted for Greater Noida due to its better connectivity with Kabul — the ground is a two-hour drive from New Delhi International Airport.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cannot wash its hands off the entire mess though the Greater Noida Authority is supposed to provide all the facilities at the stadium.

For the record, the BCCI hasn’t hosted any domestic games here since 2019.

None of the BCCI office-bearers were available for comment. A senior BCCI official though claimed that the ACB was made aware of the poor drainage facilities when the venue was allotted the Test.

Agencies

Agencies