'Good place to swim', Afghanistan players take dig at conditions as they struggle to practice due to wet outfield in Greater Noida

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AFG vs NZ: The Afghanistan cricket team faced significant challenges as they prepared for their upcoming Test match against New Zealand, scheduled to be held from September 9 to 13 at the Greater Noida Sports Complex near Delhi.

Their week-long preparatory camp was hampered by poor weather conditions and inadequate ground facilities, leaving players and staff frustrated, as reported by the national daily Indian Express.

On arrival at the practice venue, Afghanistan's captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, sarcastically commented on the situation. "Boys, we should have brought our swim gear. No way we are going to play here. Good place to swim," he was quoted as saying to his team by the newspaper.

Shahidi also expressed concern about how the New Zealand team would react to such conditions, saying in Hindi, "Sir hum logo ko aadat hai, but New Zealand waalon ko kya jawaab doge" (We have trained in much poorer conditions, but what would you say to the New Zealand team management).

Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran was among the first to inspect the field. He tested the soggy outfield with his hands and questioned the feasibility of even conducting basic fielding drills. His concerns were echoed by the rest of the team, who found the situation more amusing than frustrating, with laughter filling the air.

The camp's start was far from ideal, with incessant rain causing the outfield to become waterlogged and the practice pitches to flood. The ground staff, working with limited resources, attempted to dry the pitch using only two table fans. The absence of a Super Sopper and sufficient manpower made it challenging to protect even the 30-yard circle.

Amit Kumar Sharma, the curator of the Greater Noida Sports Complex, defended the venue's drainage system, citing the severity of the storm as the primary issue. "It was a storm. We covered the entire stadium around 8 pm last evening. In the morning, I rushed to the venue after a security guard sent me the video of the ground," Sharma told Indian Express.

Despite his decade-long experience at the venue, Sharma admitted that the ongoing rain could pose a significant challenge in preparing the ground for the Test match.

Sharma remained cautiously optimistic, stating, "If the rain stays away, you will have a good Test match. We use black soil here, and if you see the previous records here, there has always been a good competition between bat and ball."

However, with the weather forecast predicting rain until September 8, Sharma's confidence was tempered by the unpredictability of nature. As the New Zealand cricket team is set to arrive on September 5, the Afghanistan team's preparation for their 10th overall Test match and the third of 2024 remains uncertain. The absence of key T20 stars like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi further complicates their preparation, leaving the team with much to prove in the challenging conditions ahead.