The one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was the first-ever encounter between the two teams in the format. But it has turned out to be a damp squib so far, with no play in the first two days thanks to a spell of showers on the preceding evenings, which has been enough to play spoilsport. It has been a colossal failure for the Greater Noida Authority as the groundsmen haven't been able to dry the outfield despite there being sunshine on both days during match time.
It has also put the Greater Noida Stadium's ability to host an international game in future under threat with his becoming an international embarrassment. Is BCCI responsible for this mess? For once, No. In fact, the BCCI hasn't even hosted a single domestic game at the venue since the 2019 Vijay Hazare Trophy and might not host given the sub-par conditions at the venue. The Indian board is not even involved in this Test match with Afghanistan being the home team, it was their cricket board's responsibility to ensure everything was in line.
Moreover, according to a PTI report, Afghanistan were offered Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and Green Park Stadium in Kanpur as other options but the board chose Greater Noida as the venue having played here before. All eyes are now on the match referee Javagal Srinath's report after the Test match that will eventually decide the fate of the venue. He will have to assess the drainage conditions of the ground and submit the report to the ICC.
As per the ICC 'Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process' that came into effect in November 2023, "After each Match, the Match Referee (Srinath in this case) will complete a Pitch and Outfield Report Form and send it to the ICC Senior Cricket Operations Manager. The 'Pitch and Outfield Report Form' is then compiled and it will also include the comments of the captains of two teams along with the umpires who officiated in the Test.
"The ground conditions come under the match referees and officials, it's for them to decide whether it's fit or when it's not. As players, if they say we go out and play," New Zealand skipper Tim Southee had said on Sunday before the start of the match. According to the rules set by ICC, if the Greater Noida Stadium is deemed unfit for both pitch and outfield concerns, then it will accumulate three demerit points.
A venue is banned from hosting any international match for 12 months if it gets six demerit points in the five-year period. In this case, the Greater Noida Complex might not be banned immediately by the ICC but it remains to be seen if Afghanistan will ever return to this venue after the massive embarrassment in their first ever Test against New Zealand.
