Afghanistan to play Test against NZ in Noida

KABUL: Afghanistan will play its first-ever Test match against New Zealand on September 9 to 13 in Greater Noida, the country’s cricket board announced on Saturday.

New Zealand Test squad will then again be back in India within a month to play a three-Test series against Rohit Sharma’s men, starting October in Bengaluru.

The Greater Noida venue has been allocated for Afghanistan’s home games, following a mutual agreement between Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“The ACB confirms it will host the New Zealand National Cricket Team for a one-off Test Match from September 9–13 in Greater Noida, India. This historic event will mark Afghanistan’s first Test match against the Blackcaps and the first-ever bilateral cricket series hosted by ACB involving New Zealand,” the ACB said in a statement.

The Blackcaps are set to arrive in Greater Noida on September 5 for a three-day conditioning camp ahead of the Test Match.

Afghanistan will head to Delhi in late August for a one-week-long training and preparation camp.

ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf expressed his excitement about hosting New Zealand for the first time.

“We are delighted to host a quality New Zealand Test team for the first time in our cricketing history. This is a testament to the hard work we have put in through numerous discussions and meetings with different boards on the sidelines of the various ICC Board Meetings,” he said.

“The Blackcaps are an outstanding all-format team in world cricket, and we hope to reach an agreement with New Zealand Cricket for white-ball bilateral matches in the future.”