The BCCI, India’s top cricket regulatory body, has defended its choice to hold the first Test match between South Africa and India in Delhi from November 14 to November 18, even though there were worries about the quality of the city’s air during that time. Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, promised that all aspects, including environmental issues, were taken into account before the schedule was decided.
With AQI levels frequently beyond dangerous thresholds, Delhi’s air pollution has been a recurring problem, particularly in November. Poor air quality has affected city cricket matches in previous years. For example, in a 2017 Test match, Sri Lankan players wore masks.
Furthermore, scheduling games in Delhi at this time of year has come under scrutiny after Bangladeshi players puked on the pitch in 2019. Saikia said that the board rotates the matches it assigns, and so pollution issues don’t come up every year.
“We have considered all factors and have gone by the rotation policy after discussing it with everyone. The pollution issue doesn’t happen every year,” Saikia was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Ashok Sharma Assures Full Support to Ensure Player Comfort
Arun Jaitley Stadium is located in an open region with superior air quality than other sections of the city, according to Ashok Sharma, secretary of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), who shared similar thoughts. He promised to take every precaution to make sure the players were comfortable throughout the game.
“All possible measures will be taken to ensure players are comfortable when they play the Test match. Also, the Arun Jaitley Stadium is located in a relatively open area with more greenery around, so the air quality is better than in most other areas. Delhi had not been allotted a Test match for a while. The BCCI allotted us the game, so we have to go by the calendar. In November, the pollution, if at all, is less compared to December.”
Ashok Sharma
In November, Delhi’s air quality frequently deteriorates to dangerous levels, mostly as a result of weather, post-Diwali firecrackers, and post-harvest stubble burning in neighboring states. Delhi’s AQI reportedly reached 999 on November 18 of last year, with some foreign agencies reporting considerably higher numbers.
Several Delhi cricket matches have been interrupted over the years. Due to bad air quality, two Ranji Trophy matches were canceled in 2016. Players wore masks and had trouble breathing during the 2017 Test match against Sri Lanka. The conditions during an ODI in 2019 caused problems for the cricket players from Bangladesh.
