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Afghanistan Vs New Zealand: For the time, Afghanistan and New Zealand were scheduled to clash in a Test match. The Afghanistan vs New Zealand test match is slated in India to be played in a stadium in Greater Noida.
Afghanistan Vs New Zealand Yet To Take Off
The much-awaited one-off Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test was scheduled to start on September 9. However, more than two days and a half has passed and the match is yet to start due to wet outfield at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, following persistent rain.
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Afghanistan decided to host the Kiwis in India as international cricket matches are not feasible in their own country due to security conditions. The Greater Noida stadium is considered the home ground of the Afghanistan cricket team. They have previously hosted other teams in test cricket in Dehradun, Lucknow, and Abu Dhabi.
Interestingly, the Afghanistan vs New Zealand test in Greater Noida is not part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. This is because Afghanistan are not among the nine teams taking part in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. Out of the 12 test playing nations, only nine teams take part in the World Test Championship. Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe are out of the current WTC cycle.
On the other hand, New Zealand are currently placed third in the ICC WTC 2023-25 standings. After this one-off test against Afghanistan, the Kiwis will tour Sri Lanka for two tests and then return to India for three tests against Rohit Sharma’s team. These two series will be part of the ICC WTC and are crucial for New Zealand who would be hoping to make it to the finals of the championships. The Black Caps were the winners of the inaugural World Test Championship.
Also Read: 3 Reasons Why Sarfaraz and Musheer Khan May Soon Play for India Together
The ICC World Test Championship, also referred to as the Test World Cup, is the international championship of Test cricket. It is a league competition that was inaugurated in 2019 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and is considered the premier championship of Test cricket.
WTC league games are not part of ICC events and the broadcasting rights are held by the host nation’s cricketing board, not the ICC. However, WTC finals are ICC events. Australia are the current champions, having defeated India in the 2023 final. India have played in each WTC final, finishing runners up in both.
