AFG vs WI | True that venue is adopted, but we know conditions well, affirms Lalchand Rajput
Afghanistan’s head coach Lalchand Rajput is confident in his team succeeding against the West Indies despite playing on an adopted venue as they know the conditions well. After the T20I and ODI series, the two teams will meet for a lone Test match at the Ekana International Stadium in Lucknow.
With no international teams willing to travel to the war-ravaged Afghanistan, the team has had to make do with Sharjah, Greater Noida, and Dehradun to fulfil its international commitments. However, logistical difficulties forced the team to move again and settle in Lucknow last month. But having spent a month here – for the limited-overs series’ – the players now have a fair idea about how things go on here.Â
“It’s true that these are adopted home venues, but the team has been practising here for long and is aware of the conditions. So, it’s not much of a problem,” Rajput told Sportstar.
Since taking charge as the coach in 2016, Afghan cricket has risen through the ranks at the international and domestic level. Thanks to the efforts of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), cricket has seen a sharp rise in the cities of Kabul, Kandahar or Jalalabad.
“Afghanistan has immense talent and a good domestic setup back home, and it has helped in bringing out more and more cricketers. But the senior team has been playing away from home for long and all the players are fairly experienced, so it has never been a problem,” Rajput said.
However, the obvious problem lies with the lack of support from fans, who now have to make the trip from Delhi all the way to Lucknow to cheer for their team.Â
“If you are playing at home, the stadiums will be full and the fans would gather to cheer for their team. That’s not possible if you are away from home,” he added.