Noida venue at risk of losing international games

Ground staff at Greater Noida make an unsuccessful attempt to dry the outfield. Pic/AFP

Match referee Javagal Srinath's report on the preparedness of Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex here will go a long way in deciding the fate of the venue which is under the scanner after the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand failed to get underway on successive days.

For once, the BCCI, which often becomes the favourite whipping boy, isn't responsible for the mess. The home board is the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), which selected a familiar and cost-effective venue despite being offered the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore and Green Park in Kanpur as options.
The BCCI hasn't hosted any of its domestic games here since 2019 (Vijay Hazare Trophy).

Also Read: Experience of playing in India will give us edge over NZ: Afghanistan's Rahmat Shah

The ICC, for once, would follow the standard protocol for any given international venue where the match referee's report decide the further course of action. There was bright sunshine across two days, but one heavy spell of shower, in the preceding evening, was enough to play spoilsport.

According to ICC clause, "If the conditions are such that the Match Referee has cause to rate the pitch and/or outfield Unsatisfactory or Unfit, a corresponding number of Demerit Points will be imposed upon the Host Venue as outlined in the guidelines for rating pitches and outfields."

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