Afghanistan will be hosting New Zealand for a one-off Test in India in September 2024.
According to the Times of India, the game is scheduled to be played at the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida where both teams will play in this format for the first time.
Since being awarded Test status in 2017, Afghanistan have featured in 9 Tests but are yet to face New Zealand.
The report stated that New Zealand hold an entirely different stance from their neighbour Australia on playing bilateral ties against Afghanistan.
Since 2021, Australia have refused to play any bilateral match against Afghanistan because the Taliban has imposed restrictions on female participation in sports. However, New Zealand have no issues whatsoever in playing against Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has once again received the go-ahead from the BCCI to play its home matches in India.
This means Afghanistan will be playing their home matches in India after a gap of four years. They will be returning to Greater Noida for the first time since 2020. According to the report, the BCCI has allotted three 'home' venues to Afghanistan: Greater Noida, Kanpur, and Lucknow.
Afghanistan were also due to host Bangladesh in Greater Noida for a full-fledged series consisting of two Tests as well as white-ball matches in July. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to postpone the series due to the weather conditions in North India.
As for New Zealand, the one-off Test against Afghanistan will provide them with an ideal opportunity to prepare for the three-match Test series against India. The series is scheduled to take place in October - November.
New Zealand's Tour of India
16 to 20 October: First Test, Bengaluru
24 to 28 October: Second Test, Pune
01 to 05 November: Third Test, Mumbai
