Air Pollution threatens cricket world cup matches, training canceled

The Bangladesh cricket team had to call off their training session ahead of their 2023 Cricket World Cup match against Sri Lanka due to severe air pollution in New Delhi. The team, which has already been knocked out of the World Cup, arrived in the city on Wednesday after their loss to Pakistan in Kolkata.

Bangladesh cancels training due to pollution

They had planned to start training on Friday evening, but the team management decided to cancel the session due to the hazardous air quality. On Friday, Delhi’s air quality dropped to the “severe plus” category, prompting the central government to postpone the implementation of stricter air pollution control measures.

The Bangladesh cricket team, which arrived in Delhi on Wednesday for their World Cup match against Sri Lanka on November 6, canceled their first training session due to severe air pollution. They had planned three training sessions at Arun Jaitley Stadium, with the first one supposed to take between 6pm and 9pm on Friday.

However, an air emergency was declared in Delhi on Thursday as the air quality index (AQI) exceeded 400 in several parts of the city. This led to the closure of schools for two days and restrictions on construction and vehicle traffic. As of now, there have been no discussions between the ICC and BCCI about relocating the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka match scheduled for Monday.

“We had a training session planned for today, but we didn’t take the risk due to the deteriorating conditions,” said Mahmud on Friday. “Some of us have started coughing, so there’s a risk factor. We don’t want anyone to fall ill. We’re not sure if the conditions will improve, but we have training scheduled for tomorrow. We want all the players to be fit for the crucial game on November 6.”

Sri Lanka cricket monitoring air quality

Sri Lanka's cricket team is also closely monitoring the Air Quality Index (AQI) and may decide to cancel their Saturday training session if the pollution levels remain high. A source from the team mentioned that they are considering an AQI of 400 as a potential cut-off point, but they might exercise caution even if the AQI is lower.

Several players in Sri Lanka’s squad have previously experienced playing in Delhi’s polluted air during a Test match in late 2017. During that match, several players had to leave the field to vomit in the dressing room, while others needed on-field medical attention for respiratory issues. At least five Sri Lankan fielders also wore masks while fielding.

Ahead of India’s World Cup match against Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma expressed concern about the deteriorating air quality in Mumbai and other parts of India. He emphasized the importance of ensuring a safe environment for future generations in India. On the same day, the BCCI announced that it would not permit any fireworks displays for the remaining games in Mumbai and Delhi due to the air quality concerns.

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