Rain Washes Out Third Consecutive Day of Afghanistan’s Test Match Against New Zealand

Persistent rain washed out the third straight day of Afghanistan’s one-off test against New Zealand in Greater Noida, India, on Wednesday, with no play possible since the match began.

The region has experienced continuous rain over the past two weeks, and fresh showers early Wednesday forced match officials to call off play again. So far, the toss has not taken place.

This match, held at the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sport Complex, marks the first test at the venue. While it has hosted 11 limited-overs games for Afghanistan, the ground has minimal drainage facilities, complicating matters in adverse weather. Afghanistan plays its home fixtures abroad due to security concerns back home.

Responding to criticism about the venue choice, an Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) official explained that Greater Noida’s proximity to Delhi made it a practical option, easing travel logistics for the Afghan team from Kabul.

“If it rains like this, no venue is going to be able to host a game,” said Menhajuddin Raz, ACB’s international cricket manager, addressing reporters on Tuesday. He also noted that the ACB had ruled out the United Arab Emirates as a venue due to the extreme heat.

The ACB further explained the long-term nature of international cricket scheduling in a statement, saying, “The Future Tours Program (FTP) is typically planned five years in advance, which makes it nearly impossible to predict future circumstances with complete certainty.”

With more rain in the forecast, the match is at risk of becoming just the eighth test in history to be abandoned without a single ball bowled. Match referee Javagal Srinath will submit a report to the International Cricket Council (ICC), which will decide if the venue could face sanctions from the governing body.