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In a unique and damning situation, the venue for the one-off Test between Afghanistan and Ireland in the UAE was shifted from an international stadium to a local ground to accommodate a school competition. The change was confirmed on Tuesday, just hours before the start of the Test on Wednesday morning.
The Test was originally scheduled to take place at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, which has hosted international matches before. Later, the Abu Dhabi cricket and sports hub said the venue was to host the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Championship, shifting the Test to Tolerance Oval, a ground next door to the stadium.
"It was not our original plan but having been selected by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge as the host facility for the prestigious Abu Dhabi schools sports championship taking place on 1-3 March 2024, we quickly sought the support of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) - the home nation for the series - towards this exciting late change," Matt Boucher, CEO of the Abu Dhabi cricket and sports hub, said, as quoted by The Irish Times.
"The support from ACB management has been unwavering. I would like to also thank everyone at Cricket Ireland and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and International Cricket Council (ICC) for their flexibility towards the venue," he added.
The Zayed Cricket Stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000 compared to 12,000 in the new venue. The ACB can't hold matches in Afghanistan due to the country's political situation. Previously it has played as the home side in the Indian city of Dehradun as well.
"Unique that we are playing a Test match on the edge of a big Test venue" - Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie
Ireland captain, who'd aim to win his country their first Test, had an understandably part-confused and part-excited reaction to the situation. He said:
"It [Tolerance Oval] certainly is an unknown, and it's unique that we are playing a Test match on the edge of a big Test venue, but getting the chance to play on new grounds is always both challenging and exciting at the same time."
Catch live action from the Test here.
