Kabul, July 27 (UNI) Afghanistan will play a one-off Test match against New Zealand in India in September in what would be the first meeting between the sides in red-ball cricket.
The match would take place from September 9 to 13 at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.
ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf expressed happiness in being able to host New Zealand for a Test match.
“We are delighted to host a quality New Zealand Test team for the first time in our cricketing history,” Ashraf said in a statement released by Afghanistan Cricket Board.
“This is a testament to the hard work we have put in through numerous discussions and meetings with different boards on the sidelines of the various ICC Board Meetings,” he said.
“The Blackcaps are an outstanding all-format team in world cricket, and we hope to reach an agreement with New Zealand Cricket for white-ball bilateral matches in the future,” the statement
added.
This will be the first meeting between these sides since Afghanistan comprehensively beat New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, an ICC report said.
This will be Afghanistan’s 10th Test match and their first against New Zealand since acquiring Test status in 2017.
Afghanistan have registered three wins in their nine Test matches so far, beating the likes of Ireland (2019), Bangladesh (2019), and Zimbabwe (2021).
New Zealand, meanwhile, will also play an ICC World Test Championship series in India in October.
