I-Cup cricket in Greater Noida from Sunday

GREATER NOIDA: Cricket fans have reason to cheer. Starting Sunday, grounds of Shaheed Vijay Singh Parthik Sports Stadium in Greater Noida will witness matches of ICC Intercontinental Cup. Afghanistan and Namibia will play the final match of the third round from 10-13 April at the Greater Noida Cricket Stadium. This schedule was announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday.
ICC Intercontinental Cup is a pathway to Test cricket as the winner will take on the 10th-ranked Test team in an ICC Test Challenge in 2018.If the ICC Intercontinental Cup winner wins the ICC Test Challenge, then it will secure Test status until the next ICC Test Challenge, which will take place in 2022.
Currently, Afghanistan is in fifth place on 21 points, while Namibia is in seventh place on 20 points. Ireland leads the table with a maximum 60 points, 14 ahead of second-placed Netherlands, followed by Hong Kong (30 points) and Scotland (23 points).
After completing its assignment against Afghanistan, Namibia will travel to Kathmandu, where it will play two 50-over ICC World Cricket League Championship matches against Nepal. These games will be held on 16 and 18 April at the Tribhuvan University Ground. The top sides from the ICC World Cricket League Championship will progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will be held in Bangladesh in 2018.
According to Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) officials, on April 6 and 7 Afghanistan National Cricket team also played a 2-day practice match with Uttar Pradesh Ranji team at the Sports Stadium, which is now regarded as the home stadium for all Afghanistan matches. "On Friday the Namibia team practiced for four hours at the Stadium," said Rajeev Tyagi, General Manager (Projects), GNIDA. "Both team players are upbeat about the field and we hope to see thrilling matches being played out over the next few days," he added
Tyagi further said that between April 6 to 10, level 2 coaching camp for the coaches of Afghanistan have been organized by Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) under the supervision and guidance of ICC. Former Bangladesh Skipper Mohammad Aminul Islam, Development Officer, ICC and Former Indian Test player Venkatpathy Raju will be guiding the players. Afghanistan cricket team main coach is Inzamam Ul Haq, renowned Pakistani Batsman and Manoj Parabhakar, former Indian player, are their bowling coaches.
The newly-built Greater Noida cricket stadium had officially become the home ground for Afghanistan cricketers in December 2015 after GNIDA, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the ACB signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Delhi. Several poster boys of cricket have been practicing at the stadium since its opening.