According to Parami News, there will be a one-off Test between New Zealand and Afghanistan at the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida, India, in September.
This will be the first time that any of these teams has played against New Zealand. It is interesting that Australia has refused to play Afghanistan three times on a bilateral basis since Taliban took power this year on claims that it forbids women from participating in sports, but their neighboring country New Zealand seems to have taken a different view on such matter.
Also, the Black Caps are scheduled to play three tests against the Indians in India during October-November as well.
It was reported by Parami News on July 21 that the BCCI has finally granted permission for Afghanistan – now ruled by Taliban – to host its matches for them here after four years. In July at Greater Noida there should have been series involving several white-ball games versus Bangladesh followed by two tests, however, due to extreme heat in North India at that time this series was postponed.
Thus for the first time since March 2020, Afghanistan will be turning out in Greater Noida.
BCCI has given three “home” grounds to Afghanistan: Lucknow-Greater Noida and Kanpur.
“The BCCI was the first cricket board to come out openly supporting Afghanistan soon after Talibans walked into Kabul,” said a source.
