India to host Afghanistan in their first ever Test match

Courtesy: Reuters

New Delhi: Continuing to build on its commitment to the development of cricket in Afghanistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday agreed to host the first-ever Test match between the two sides.

"Afghans were scheduled to play their first Test in 2019 versus Australia but considering the historic relationship between India and Afghanistan, we decided to host their first Test," said BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary after the Special General Meeting in Delhi.

Afghanistan and Ireland were confirmed as 'Full Member' teams by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in June this year, thereby granting them the Test status. They are the 11th and 12th nations respectively in the list.

One of Afghanistan's leading cricketers, Mohammad Nabi, thanked BCCI for their support and said that they hope to play their first Test match against India.

Despite unfavorable conditions, the national cricket team from the war-ravaged country has made rapid strides in the international stage.

Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi became the first two Afghanistan cricketers to be bought at the Indian Premier League auction earlier this year. Leg-spinner Rahid, in fact, has already established himself as a global star.

It's worth noting that the Afghanistan had shifted their home base from Sharjah to the UPCA stadium in Noida, after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the BCCI and the stadium.