Afghanistan Cricket Board issues statement after criticism of Indian venue sparks backlash

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has issued a new statement following its initial criticism of India's Noida Stadium's inadequate facilities for hosting a Test match against New Zealand.

According to media reports, the ACB had criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for providing a venue with insufficient resources.

The Afghan team had been given three venue options – Kanpur, Bengaluru, and Noida – but chose Noida due to its proximity to the capital, Delhi, and logistical reasons.

Afghan team manager Minhajuddin Raza explained that Noida seemed convenient, being only two hours from Delhi.

However, the stadium’s lack of facilities turned it into a “nightmare.”

Despite these concerns, the ACB backtracked, stating that Noida had been their home venue since 2016, and they had hosted several white-ball matches there.

This came after reports of BCCI expressing displeasure over the public criticism.

The ACB clarified that it had chosen the venue voluntarily, keeping in view the potential logistical challenges.

The clarification was issued shortly after Afghanistan's official had sharply criticised the BCCI for providing what was termed as an unsuitable venue.

Earlier, the Afghanistan national cricket team had voiced its dissatisfaction with the facilities at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium in India's Greater Noida state, following a rain-hit one-off Test match against New Zealand.

The opening day on September 9 was washed out due to a wet outfield and persistent rain, and the match continued to be halted on the second day for the same reasons.

Despite prior efforts to ensure readiness, the team raised issues regarding the stadium’s facilities over what they see as mismanagement and inadequate amenities at the venue.

Reports indicate that the team has formally announced they will not return to this stadium for future matches.

A source within the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed that future games will be relocated to Lucknow, citing the lack of basic facilities as the primary reason.