Afghanistan have entered double digits. Their match at Greater Noida Stadium is the 10th Test they are playing. It’s taken them 6 years to get there. It means a lot to the team, the nation and their fans. Facing New Zealand for the first time in Test cricket, the moment would have been special. But they are yet to face the Kiwis. You see, despite no rain, the first day’s play in the one-off Test was called off.
Thousands of fans have travelled there to watch the game. The tickets were free, and the hospitality showed why. There were no stands or seats for fans. Makeshift tents were created a few days before the match started (September 9), and a carpet was awarded for them to sit on the ground. It was a hot and humid day. A gust of wind would pass once in a while to release some pain. They persisted because they wanted to watch the game they loved, but that didn’t happen.
The toss remained delayed for nearly hours until the day was called off. From 9:20 AM to 4:05 PM. The umpires and players inspected the pitch multiple times but returned disappointed each time. It had rained a day prior, but not one drop fell on the match day. Yet, no action. Why? Because of the poor facilities. Captains of both sides have expressed unhappiness regarding the condition of the outfield at the Greater Noida Stadium.
The ground wasn’t the first choice. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) wanted to host the match in Lucknow or Dehradun, but both venues were preoccupied. They weren’t happy with the facility. The poor outfield also resulted in Ibrahim Zadran getting ruled out of the one-off Test. There is no drainage system in place. There were damp patches all over the ground, with the most troubling one present nearing the bowler’s runup. No rain in over 15 hours, and yet no play happened.
Afghani fan’s plight
Fans came and went as the delay went on and on. But the numbers were enough to force the umpires to try and play a session. Often, once half the time is over (around 2 PM), the play is called off. But we had two further inspection times. Most fans present were Indians, but there were enough Afghani fans in the house.
Some fans said they weren’t pleased with the food; others didn’t like the lack of cleanliness of washrooms. However, none were as gruntled as Afghani fans. They’d come to watch their team play but had to depart without catching even a glimpse after waiting for hours.
A disgruntled fan donning Afghanistan’s ODI World Cup 2023 jersey told InsideSport, “I came here from Lajpat Nagar (40 km away from the stadium).” He’d arrived just moments before the toss was to be flicked. Asked if he was unhappy with the condition of the ground, cleanliness or food. He said, “Kuch farak nahi padhta, jo karne aae thi vo nahi hua. Baarish nahi hui, phir bhi match nahi hua (I don’t care about these things; I came to watch the match and it didn’t happen. It didn’t even rain, and yet the match didn’t start)”.
The skies turned gloomy moments after this chat. I told him, if it rains, the match won’t happen; will you still come? “Yes,” he said emphatically. “I’ll come even if it rains”.
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