Carrying on with its tradition of introducing nations toTest cricket, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) will host Afghanistan’s inaugural Test match from June 14 to 18 in Bengaluru. “India has good diplomatic relations with Afghanistan for a long time. We thought it was fitting that we host their landmark Test. We selected Bengaluru because other parts of India are either too hot or will witness monsoons during that period. We expect a lot of VIPs to attend the match. It’s an extension of what the board did when SouthAfrica re-entered the international scene in 1991,” BCCI’S acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said.
India had also played Bangladesh’s first Test in October 2000. In addition to hosting Afghanistan’s big match, the board has also extended an offer to provide a venue for the Afghan team to use as their home ground. Afghanistan practised in Greater Noida a couple of years ago before shifting base to UAE.
“We must thank BCCI for giving us this opportunity to play our inaugural Test. We respect their busy schedule and I am sure the fans of Afghanistan team will travel to Bengaluru to watch the game,” said Afghanistan Cricket Board’s CEO Ashfaq Stanikzai. “The conditions in India suit us more than those in UAE,” he added. It is learnt that the Afghan officials will visit a few venues to finalise their ‘home ground’.
Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket has been exciting in the last couple of years. While leg-spinner Rashid Khan has grown in stature in various T20 leagues across the world, the U-19 team has also been taking big strides. “We have started our first-class tournament in late 2017. We have been consistent performers in ICC intercontinental tournaments. It’s a pity that we can’t practice in our own country.”
