“All the things is similar, nothing has modified,” Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan’s captain, mentioned with a wry smile when requested about his ideas on returning to the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium after a four-year hiatus.
Shahidi didn’t mince his phrases, including, “The power is similar because it was 4 years in the past…”
As he spoke in a cramped convention room on the eve of his crew’s one-off Take a look at match towards New Zealand, it rained incessantly and the bottom employees appeared hapless in his efforts to get the bottom prepared in time.
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The match referee was seen inspecting the bottom, whereas gamers from the camps mentioned if in any respect, any motion could be potential, given the dampness of the wicket, following rains over the previous few days.
Being banned by the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) in September 2017, the Better Noida stadium hasn’t hosted any BCCI-affiliated tournaments since.
Regardless that it was the house floor for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) earlier, it final hosted a world sport – a Take a look at between Afghanistan and Eire – again in March 2020.
Although some native unaffiliated franchise tournaments have been carried out right here thereafter, the stadium – managed by the Better Noida Industrial Improvement Authority and never run by a state cricket affiliation – has failed to enhance its drainage system and, lacks manpower and fundamental amenities.
“We’ve restricted Tremendous Sopper and because it has been raining persistently, we’ve been struggling to get issues prepared,” a senior floor official informed Sportstar.
Whereas he was assured of getting issues in form as soon as the rain stopped, the truth wasn’t fairly spectacular. Regardless of being the host, the ACB officers struggled to liaise with the native authorities on a number of grounds.
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Initially, a makeshift tent home was allotted to the media in a single nook of the grounds however with rain and powerful winds, security considerations stay.
“We are attempting to kind issues out. These are teething troubles and hopefully, issues will fall in place as soon as the match begins,” a supply within the ACB mentioned.
Primarily, questions stay on how the pitch would maintain up over the following days, and the gamers, too, appeared to be doubtful.
Whereas Kane Williamson referred to it as a stroll into the unknown, New Zealand captain Tim Southee mentioned, “The bottom circumstances come below the match referee and the officers. It’s on them to resolve whether or not it’s match sufficient. So, as gamers, if they are saying ‘it’s match’ then we go and play. We’re trying ahead for the climate to clear and we enjoying…”
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When the BCCI allotted the Better Noida facility and the Inexperienced Park in Kanpur to the ACB, it selected the previous due to its proximity to the nationwide capital. Since reaching India final week, nevertheless, it has struggled to get issues so as.
And, rain has solely added to its woes.
Addressing the media, Shahidi batted for one ‘mounted dwelling venue’, and it appears, the ACB officers are additionally in favour of the identical.
“The amenities should be higher and we are able to guarantee issues are dealt with correctly,” a supply mentioned. It will, nevertheless, be attention-grabbing to see if the ACB takes up the matter with the BCCI, going ahead.