Afghanistan's captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, has expressed the urgent need for Afghanistan to have a permanent home venue in India and more opportunities to play Test matches.

Afghanistan, who will face New Zealand in a historic one-off Test starting on Monday at Greater Noida near Delhi, has played only nine Test matches since being granted Full Member status in 2017. Shahidi believes that having a single home venue in India and more frequent Test cricket will allow Afghanistan to improve and become a stronger red-ball team.

Shahidi spoke about the challenges Afghanistan faces, as they have been unable to play at home due to security concerns. Since their Test debut, the team has had to play "home" matches across multiple venues in India, including Dehradun, Lucknow, and now Greater Noida. Additionally, they’ve played matches in Abu Dhabi. Shahidi emphasized that sticking with one venue will help the team build consistency and adjust better to conditions.

"India is our home, and when we host teams, the other nations have played more cricket here," Shahidi said ahead of the New Zealand Test. "Hopefully, we will get one good venue here in India and stick with it. This will be more effective for us in the long run."

Shahidi also pointed out that Afghanistan have not had enough opportunities in Test cricket. Despite their impressive performances in white-ball formats, including reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup earlier this year, they have played only nine Tests in six years. In comparison, they are slotted to play 22 Test matches in the current FTP cycle (2023–2027), but only a few are against top teams.

"In six years, nine games is not enough," Shahidi added. "If we get more chances with strong teams, we will improve faster. Playing more regularly, and in longer series, will help us adapt better to the demands of red-ball cricket. We need three or four-match series to truly grow as a Test team."

Shahidi expressed optimism about Afghanistan's future in Test cricket, despite the challenges. He highlighted Afghanistan's strong record in first-class cricket and believes that their success could rise even further if international teams are eventually able to play in Afghanistan. However, until then, he hopes the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the BCCI can provide them with a stable base in India.

Afghanistan will be missing key players like Rashid Khan in the upcoming Test against New Zealand, but Shahidi remains confident that young players will rise to the occasion. "It’s tough to miss players like Rashid, but we have more talented guys, and it’s an opportunity for them to make their mark," he further said.