Delhi’s typically toxic November haze looms over Bangladesh and Sri Lanka’s World Cup fixture | Cricket-world-cup News

Independent consultation with a pulmonolog, implementation of water sprinklers around the premises, installation of air purifiers in the dressing rooms and match officials areas, and hoping for the conditions to improve – these are some of the mitigating actions taken the BCCI and ICC as toxic haze and poor air quality continues to surround the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi ahead of the World Cup fixture between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka here on Monday.
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Both teams have already missed one practice session each in the buildup to the game, as air quality levels stayed in the ‘severe’ category for four consecutive days. According to the Union Government’s ‘early warning system’, it is expected to stay that way up until Tuesday. As of 9am, Delhi reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 461 on Sunday.
While air quality can be an external circumstance out of the organisers’ control, the scheduling of a 50-over international cricket match in the first week of November in New Delhi remains contentious. This is the fifth consecutive year that the AQI has been rated as ‘severe’ for at least three days in the first week of November. The daily average has been as high as 721 on one day in 2019. Schools in the city have been shut till November 10 and control measures in the city have reached ‘Stage IV’ of the Centre’s air pollution control plan, but if the preparations on Sunday are anything to go , the cricket must go on.
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Both teams may be out of semifinal contention, but a place in the 2025 Champions Trophy is still at stake. That means a measure as extreme as abandoning the game, after it has become clear that there is no indication the fixture can be moved out of the city, will have to be carefully taken. That call will be in the hands of match officials and the umpires on Monday itself.Most Read
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After both teams had cancelled training earlier in the week, Bangladesh trained at the Kotla on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon with coaches and players seen in protective face masks. Sri Lanka hit the nets for the first time on Sunday evening.
“It’s not ideal, but we have no choice. We have to play in the condition in front of us,” said Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe in his pre-match press conference, adding that they have aimed to reduce players’ exposure to the toxic air, also keeping asthmatic players indoors. When asked, he said he is not a “qualified person” to take a call on whether the city of Delhi is fit to host international cricket this time of the year.

Sri Lanka maintained a similar position. When skipper Kusal Mendis was asked if they have requested to get the game moved out of the city, team media manager Mahinda Halangoda protectively stepped in to answer on his part, denying they have made any requests, instead having only been in touch with the ICC to understand their measures to deal with the pollution. “We plan to go ahead as the ICC guides us,” he said.