For the second successive day, not a single ball could be bowled at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports complex in Greater Noida putting the venue under scanner and making it an international embarrassment.
A dominant Afghanistan crushed Papua New Guinea by seven wickets to storm into the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup in Trinidad on Thursday.
Fans can expect a wide open tournament in the absence of an overwhelming favourite in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran shared an opening stand of 118 to drive Afghanistan to a stunning 21-run win over Australia.
Australia will be without their premier pacers but their envious pedigree in ICC tournaments make them favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy from Group B.
This was only the eighth time in Test cricket history that a match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The players, looking towards Bravo, crooned along Bravo's hit number Champion while the song played on the team bus.
This is the first-ever Test between New Zealand against Afghanistan who got their Test status in 2017.
Cricket Australia postponed a three-match T20 International home series against Afghanistan's men's team in August this year.
Afghanistan registered a stunning 21-run win for their first ever victory against Australia in international cricket.
Only seven matches in the history of Test cricket have been abandoned without a ball being bowled.
There was poor communication and complete mismanagement between the stadium authority and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Rain had affected the buildup to the Test, the first between the two nations, with New Zealand not being able to complete a single practice session properly.
Australia have called off a T20 series against Afghanistan citing a deteriorating human rights situation for women and girls in the Taliban-ruled country.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board said the final 15-member squad will be announced at the end of a week-long preparatory camp in Greater Noida.
In a letter written to the global governing body, the women cricketers praised the splendid performance of the men's team in the T20 World Cup but rued that they were not getting opportunities to flourish.
Afghanistan are the hosts of the game.
Rashid was out of action for four months after undergoing a back surgery following the ODI World Cup in India in October-November. He was part of the more recent T20 Word Cup in the USA and Caribbean where he captained Afghanistan to the semifinals.
Following the match, Australian batsman Usman Khawaja took to social media to congratulate Afghanistan on their well-deserved win.
A spirited Afghanistan upset Sri Lanka by seven wickets to continue their memorable campaign at World Cup 2023.
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'When the scores are low, we had an off-one in the field. But yeah, got to give credit where credit is due and Afghanistan were pretty good.'
Dwayne Bravo appointed Afghanistan bowling consultant for T20 World Cup
'I feel like we are so lucky to be here giving this happiness to people back home. We hardly see these kind of events back home where they could celebrate and enjoy those moments. That's something which really, really satisfies me.'
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan praised the team's collective display after they claimed an emphatic 84-run victory over New Zealand.
Images from the ICC World Cup match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, in Pune, on Monday.
PHOTOS from a memorable chase and a famous win...
On Thursday, Rashid's BBL side Adelaide Strikers had announced that Rashid would undergo a minor operation soon.
IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match played between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Chennai on Monday.
Afghanistan unlikely to give NOCs for Mujeeb, Naveen and Farooqi, putting IPL participation in doubt
Afghanistan were once considered World Cup minnows, having won just one game in their two previous campaigns.
Afghanistan, third in Group One with two points and trailing Australia on net run rate, have a shot at finishing in the top two and making the semis if they beat bottom side Bangladesh on Monday when Australia play leaders India, who have four points.
Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott feels his team is a stronger unit in a day game and expects them to optimise the conditions against a formidable India.
Shubman Gill brought smiles to Rashid Khan's face with a surprise visit, creating a delightful moment for the Afghan leg-spinner as he connected with his Gujarat Titans team-mate on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
Afghanistan registered a thrilling seven-wicket victory against Pakistan with one ball to spare in the second Twenty20 international in Sharjah.
South Africa's bid to lift a first major cricket trophy could come down to whether they can finally shed the unwanted tag of "chokers".
IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match played between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Dharamsala on Saturday
Mohammed Nabi's superb all-round show helped Afghanistan beat Pakistan for the first time in T20 Internationals in Sharjah on Friday.
Afghanistan scripted history by qualifying for their maiden T20 World Cup semi-final with a win over Bangladesh on Tuesday.
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