Afghanistan Captain Wants ‘One Good Home Venue’ in India to Boost Cricket Performance
Since gaining Test status in 201, Afghanistan has faced many hurdles trying to make their mark in the longer version of cricket. Because of the ongoing political situation back home, the national team has to play their home matches at neutral spots like Abu Dhabi and different places in India. This situation worries players, including captain Hashmatullah Shahidi. Recently, he spoke out about needing a permanent home venue in India to help improve their Test cricket performance.
Afghanistan will host
New Zealand for a single Test in Greater Noida, which is near Delhi, starting on September 9. Before this big match, Shahidi shared his thoughts on why having a fixed venue would really help. “If you see, India is our home. When we host teams, the other countries have played more cricket here than us,” Shahidi said. “So hopefully we can get one good venue here in India & we stick with that. If we stick with one spot, it will be more effective for us.”
Shahidi’s words
show a bigger feeling among the team. The Afghanistan cricket squad has found it tough to stay consistent & create a home advantage since the venues keep changing. The captain also hopes that someday Afghanistan might actually host Test matches on their own soil. “Our players have a good record in first-class cricket because we play on our own grounds [in Afghanistan]. We understand our own conditions very well,” Shahidi mentioned.
He also highlighted how not playing enough top-level Test cricket has affected their growth. Since they played their first Test in 2018, Afghanistan has only had nine Tests against teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, & Ireland. “In six years, nine games isn’t a lot,” Shahidi remarked. He believes more chances to play against strong teams would speed up their improvement.
The Afghanistan
cricket board & the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are urged to think about Shahidi’s request for a steady venue in India. Such an arrangement could give the Afghan team a strong base to build their game & gain the experience they need to compete at the highest level. As Afghanistan continues facing its unique challenges, having a dedicated venue could be really important on their road to success in Test cricket.