BCCI faces backlash as 4th T20I in Lucknow called off amid hazardous Smog, vice-president Rajeev Shukla expresses...
The BCCI faces online trolling for scheduling matches in northern India during peak winter after the fourth T20I against South Africa was abandoned because of heavy smog.
New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) faces backlash after the fourth T20I of the five-match series between India and South Africa was abandoned due to poor visibility caused by heavy smog at Ekana Stadium on Wednesday. The board was slammed for scheduling multiple matches in northern India during peak winter, despite this being the third game in the region following the second T20I in New Chandigarh and the third in Dharamsala.
The match was originally set to begin at 7 pm, with the toss planned for 6:30 pm. However, the start was postponed, and the umpires conducted a visibility check 20 minutes after the scheduled toss. The delay continued as officials carried out nearly six inspections before ultimately deciding to call off the game at 9:30 pm.
Fans took to social media to criticize the BCCI
As the visibility checks continued, fans took to social media to criticize the BCCI, posting images of smog-covered Lucknow, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) came under the hazardous zone above 400. Concerns about the board's commitment to player safety grew. India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was spotted wearing a surgical mask during the team's first warm-up session to protect against the pollution. Following the second delay, players called off their warm-ups and returned to the dressing rooms, and by 9 pm, much of the crowd started to disperse.
During the visibility checks, BCCI vice-president and long-time Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association figurehead Rajeev Shukla was spotted walking to the center of the field, where the umpires were assessing conditions. Shukla appeared visibly frustrated while talking to the officials.
Varun Chakravarthy was also shocked by the dense smog covering the Lucknow stadium
Meanwhile, India spinner Varun Chakravarthy was also shocked by the dense smog covering the Lucknow stadium, "I've never played at a ground this cold, so I did find it quite challenging," he said.
On match day, the AQI in Dharamsala was classified as 'poor,' while the second T20I in New Chandigarh was played under 'severe' air quality conditions. This has raised concerns over the BCCI operations team's planning, particularly whether historical weather data for northern Indian cities was taken into account or if there was a lack of contingency measures, such as scheduling afternoon matches to allow at least some play for ticket-holders.
BCCI could have swapped venues for the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand which is scheduled to start from January 11, which are primarily scheduled in western and southern India. The venues include Vadodara, Rajkot, Indore, Nagpur, Raipur, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram, with Guwahati being the only northern-eastern location.
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