The Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium in Noida has faced significant criticism due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the one-off Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand. Despite the anticipation for an exciting match, not a single ball was bowled over the course of four days. Inclement weather played a role, but the condition of the ground itself was also a major factor in the match's cancellation.
Reports indicate that the stadium's ground was plagued by wet patches and the groundstaff struggled to prepare the surface adequately. Insufficient covers left portions of the field vulnerable to the elements, prompting frustration from both spectators and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). However, during an interview with radio channel 93.5 Red FM, an unnamed stadium manager refuted claims of mismanagement.
The stadium manager defended the facility, suggesting that critics may not fully grasp the challenges faced in preparing the ground for play. Despite the backlash, the manager emphasized the importance of understanding the context before passing judgment.
“The Afghanistan team had arrived on 30 August and they played a 3-day (intra-squad) match from 1-2 September where they scored more than 300 runs. We delivered the pitch as per coach Jonathan Trott's demand,” the concerned person told the radio channel.
“The rain is causing the major trouble which isn't in our hands. The closest stadium to this one is Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium) where the downpour has resulted in the cancellation of (DPL 2024) matches. The showers are so heavy that the water penetrates the covers despite enveloping the entire ground.
“And it's not that Afghanistan are not aware of this ground. It has been their home venue for three years and they surely have trained in rainy conditions. Had their board been unaware, they wouldn't have approved this venue to host the game,” he said.
After this answer, the RJ (Radio Jockey) commented - “Jitna to humari team nahi kheli, itna to inhone khela hai (the Indian cricket team has never played but the Afghans did).”
The venue manager replied - “Kuch logon ko content chahiye hotein hain, unko reality nahi jaan na (People need content and don't want to know the reality).”
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