Ekana Stadium in Lucknow allotted as Afghanistan’s new home ground

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) has now allotted the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow as the new home ground of Afghanistan. The team will be able to host Tests, ODIs, and T20Is at the venue. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has helped their cricket over a number of instances. Previously, the Afghans had a couple of more home venues in India.

Back in 2017, they played at the Greater Noida against Ireland. Last year, Afghanistan hosted Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. At the very venue, they locked horns with Ireland earlier this year in a T20I, ODI, and a solitary Test. It now remains to be seen when they host a match at the Ekana Stadium.

“We have received formal approval of our request from the BCCI. Dehradun did not have enough five-star accommodations which was proving to be a hurdle in organizing international games. Now we should have no more problems in this regard at Lucknow,” Asadullah Khan, the CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), was quoted as saying in Cricket Next.

BCCI’s affiliation towards Afghanistan cricket can also be comprehended from the fact that last year in June, the new full-members played their maiden Test versus India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Later this year in November, Afghanistan are scheduled to lock horns with the Windies in India in Dehradun. The series consists of three T20Is, as many ODIs and a one-off Test.

Afghans look to regroup

The Afghans recently didn’t have the greatest of campaigns in the 2019 World Cup. Prior to the mega event, Gulbadin Naib was appointed as the captain, replacing Asghar Afghan, and he failed miserably. The team lost all their nine matches and finished at the bottom of the points table. Naib was then stripped from captaincy and Rashid Khan has been given the mantle in all the formats.

Their chief selector Dawlat Ahmadzai and team manager, Nayeem Sayem were also handed one-year suspensions after the team’s poor show in the World Cup. Afghanistan’s next assignment is in September when they will tour Bangladesh. They’ll play a one-off Test in Chattogram followed by a T20I triangular series, also involving Zimbabwe, who were recently suspended by the ICC.