New Delhi, September 7
Ahead of the one off Test against New Zealand, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi shared his thoughts on the upcoming match saying that it will be an honour to be a part of such a historic moment at Greater Noida.
The Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand will be played from Monday, September 9 to Friday, September 13 at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.
"It is an honour to play in Greater Noida and be part of such a historic moment for the city. We look forward to our days in the city with a lot of love from cricket fans who we know are here in plenty," Shahidi said as quoted by a Play Sports release.
The Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground will witness the inaugural one-off test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand marking a landmark event for sports enthusiasts. More than 10,000 spectators will be present at the stadium to witness this fixture.
Talking about playing in the city again, the Afghanistan skipper said, "We have practiced here in the past and it is a privilege playing in the city again in front of these stands. Indian fans are someone we really look forward to seeing and we hope they will show up in force. This match presents a wonderful opportunity for us to bring pride and glory to our nation, and we look forward to doing so in front of such passionate fans."
Squads:
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhil (WK), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad and Yama Arab.
New Zealand: Tim Southee (C), Tom Blundell (WK), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (VC), Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson and Will Young.