"Honour to be part of such historic moment for the city": Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi

Hashmatullah Shahidi (Pic: File Pic)

Ahead of the one-off Test match against New Zealand, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed his views by saying that it will be an honour to be a part of a historic moment at the Greater Noida.

The one-off Test match between New Zealand and Afghanistan will kick start on September 9 at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.

"It is an honour to play in Greater Noida and be part of such a historic moment for the city. We look forward to our days in the city with a lot of love from cricket fans who we know are here in plenty," Hashmatullah Shahidi said as quoted by a Play Sports release.

Also Read: "Experience of playing in India will give us edge over NZ": Afghanistan's Rahmat Shah

The clash will mark a landmark event for sports enthusiasts. More than 10,000 spectators are expected to be present at the stadium ahead of the Test match.

Talking about playing in the city again, the Afghanistan skipper said, "We have practiced here in the past and it is a privilege playing in the city again in front of these stands. Indian fans are someone we really look forward to seeing and we hope they will show up in force. This match presents a wonderful opportunity for us to bring pride and glory to our nation, and we look forward to doing so in front of such passionate fans."

Squads:

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhil (WK), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad and Yama Arab.

New Zealand: Tim Southee (C), Tom Blundell (WK), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (VC), Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson and Will Young.

(With ANI Inputs)