Image Credit- Getty
What place do you call home? Wherever you feel most at ease, perhaps. or the most cherished. or possess a robust network of allies. or where you believe your true place is.
None of the options above have to be chosen. One or a couple could handle the task. Afghanistan, regrettably, does not even have a great deal of “home” venues.
Afghanistan has played their home internationals in the UAE’s three main towns, Dehradun, Lucknow, and Greater Noida in India (which was also home before they became a Full Member), since June 2017, when they were given Full Member status. There was an ODI series in Sri Lanka in between, as well as one in Qatar early in 2022. Afghanistan deserves praise for their remarkable progress in the white-ball formats, even though they play their home Twenty20 Internationals and One Day Internationals throughout Asia but never in their own country.
Afghanistan has played five home Test matches so far; the match against New Zealand in Greater Noida would have been their sixth. At no one ground have they played more than twice. They have played Test matches in Dehradun and Lucknow, two at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium and one at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi; they have even had to play at two distinct venues within the city of Abu Dhabi.
Afghanistan is a thriving nation; the least they could expect is a dedicated home arena that they can use without having to cross international boundaries and adapt to new circumstances. They have faced Ireland and Zimbabwe, the other non-World Test Championship (WTC) Full Members, in half of their Test matches. Their head coach Jonathan Trott said that playing a far better rated team like New Zealand would have been “historic”.
Therefore, why doesn’t Afghanistan have a home arena of its own? Why do they have to alternate between the United Arab Emirates and India, and play on Indian fields that don’t even regularly hold domestic matches (apart from Lucknow)?
Naturally, due to the political climate in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has played three of its five home Test matches in the United Arab Emirates since it is their adoptive home on the cricket pitch. However, Afghanistan is compelled to play in India when those venues are unavailable.
Questions began to arise as to why this little-used ground with apparently subpar facilities was hosting a Test match in the first place after the Test against New Zealand lost the first two days due to a wet outfield, despite the pitch being baked by the sun and no rain during the hours of play. The match could not take place in the United Arab Emirates because to the intense heat during this time of year, according to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
The major risk they were taking, though, was giving a ground that hasn’t hosted an international match since March 2020 its first Test match, not even for local cricket. As part of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, Afghanistan and Ireland played their final first-class match there in March 2017. Other than that, only eight elite games have taken place at the location, all of which took place between December 2015 and December 2016.
Furthermore, it should be noted that Greater Noida is a suburb within a suburb. It is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, outside of Delhi, and is governed by the Greater Noida Authority, not the BCCI or the state association (UPCA). First-class matches played at the Greater Noida stadium are almost completely lost to time, and it is difficult to determine who is responsible for maintaining it. Overall, the Afghanistan squad suffered for no fault of their own once more.
Although there doesn’t seem to be a quick fix for this issue, Afghanistan has some time to work it out. Following a single Test in Ireland in July, their next Test series comprises of two away matches in December against Zimbabwe, whom they are scheduled to face again in another away series in October 2025. After a gap of nearly two years, they will play a one-off Test against a far higher-ranked team in June 2026, held in India.
Afghanistan is currently getting ready to host South Africa for three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in Sharjah, their original home away from home. Afghanistan has defeated Zimbabwe or Ireland in seven of the 10 ODIs that have been played in Sharjah since becoming a Full Member. With a 10-2 win-loss record in ODIs, South Africa has defeated nations like India and Pakistan at the same location. The query comes up once more. Who actually benefits from being at home?