The Afghanistan cricket team, returning to their Indian home ground after a four-year hiatus, faced a dampening welcome. Overnight rain had left the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida flooded, and the ground staff was working tirelessly to prepare the pitches for the upcoming Test match against New Zealand. However, the pitch curator has raised massive conditions that might not be able to do anything if rain continues to pose a threat.
Yahan swimming kar sakte h: AFG captain
“Yahan to hum swimming kar sakte hain (We could1 easily swim here),” quipped Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi when he stepped onto the field in Greater Noida. While it was a hilarious claim, it gave a certain ‘gloomy’ picture of the stadium. With the match scheduled to begin on September 9, the team’s preparations were at risk due to the inclement weather.
“We are used to playing in tough conditions, but what about the New Zealand team?” Shahidi claimed, pointing to the waterlogged outfield which has not been sorted. Pitch curator Amit Sharma, who has been at the Greater Noida facility since 2013, explained the challenges posed by the unexpected rainfall. Despite the efforts to protect the pitch, the sudden storm had rendered them ineffective.
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“We left the entire stadium covered last [Wednesday] evening, but the overnight storm blew away the covers. As I woke up, I rushed to the venue after the security guard sent me a video,” Amit Sharma said to News18 CricketNext. “It would be a great game if the rain stays away. We have prepared a good black soil strip that would see an even competition between the ball and the ball. I can control everything on the field, but the weather is not in my hands. You could also check on the internet that it would rain every day till September 8.” expressing that he might not be able to prepare the pitch on time if rain threat persist.
