The New Zealand team will have a great opportunity to acclimatise in sub-continent conditions ahead of the gruelling three-Test series against India in October as the BlackCaps are set to play Afghanistan in an one-off Test match in Greater Noida in September.
This will be the first-ever Test match featuring these two teams, the Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed on Saturday. The Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, which has previously served as Afghanistan’s adopted home ground, will host its first Test match, adding another layer of significance to this encounter.
Afghanistan, who acquired Test status in 2017 and went on to play their first game in the format in 2018, have so far played nine Tests. They have won three Tests in their brief history, one each against Zimbabwe, Ireland and Bangladesh.
New Zealand will arrive in Greater Noida on September 5 for a three-day conditioning camp ahead of the Test match, scheduled to begin on September 9. The ACB has already hosted games in Noida following an agreement with the BCCI.
“We are delighted to host a quality New Zealand Test team for the first time in our cricketing history,” ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf said.
“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. 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.”
With this match, only England, Australia, Pakistan, and South Africa will remain as the major Test-playing nations yet to face Afghanistan in the format. Australia’s withdrawal from hosting Afghanistan in a Test in 2021, citing humanitarian reasons, has delayed their encounter.
Earlier this year, Australia also pulled out of a three-match T20I series scheduled for August, which left a gap in Afghanistan’s calendar that will now be partly filled by the upcoming New Zealand Test.
Meanwhile, the historic Test against Afghanistan will allow the Kiwis to prepare better for the three-match Test series against India, starting October 16. The series is a part of the ICC’s Test Championship cycle.