The ICC is seeking expert advice to assess the declining air quality in New Delhi, the venue of the World Cup match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on November 6.
The weather situation in Delhi has been grim over the past week, with a thick blanket of smog engulfing the city. As on 2pm IST, the AQI (Air-Quality Index) in the embassy area close to the centre of the city stood at 546, deep into ‘hazardous’ category. In the outskirts, that number has shot over 700, with some parts nearly touching 800. The government has employed various measures as the conditions moved to combat the existing situation, as the air quality pushed to “severe-plus category”.
On Friday, Bangladesh cancelled their practice session, with team director Khaled Mahmud explaining that, “due to worsening conditions”, the team decided against going to the stadium. “Some of us developed coughing, so there’s a risk factor. We don’t want to get sick,” he said.
On Saturday, Sri Lanka too cancelled their practice. The developments have raised doubts over the fate of the fixture on November 6.
An ICC spokesperson said: “The ICC and our hosts the BCCI take the wellbeing of all participants seriously and are monitoring the air quality in Delhi. We are taking expert advice to assess the situation.”
