Delhi's 'critical' air quality may lead to an ODI World Cup match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to get cancelled or cut short. This may make it the first ever cricket World Cup match to get cancelled or reduced to air pollution.
The tie could've been the first ever World Cup game to get cancelled due to air pollution. It still runs the risk of getting cut short
Delhi's 'critical' air quality may lead to an ODI World Cup match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to get cancelled or cut short. This may make it the first ever cricket World Cup match to get cancelled or reduced to air pollution.
Members of the Bangladesh team with asthma chose to remain inside, while Sri Lankan players opted to wear masks, according to a Reuters report.
The bad quality of the air has caused several disruptions of play in the Ranji Trophy before.
Two Ranji Trophy matches were called off seven years ago, on November 6, 2016, because to the severe air pollution and thick haze that was engulfing the capital city. Bengal was playing Gujarat at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, while Hyderabad was playing Tripura at Karnail Singh Stadium.
The world of cricket was made aware of the extent of air pollution in Delhi after the India-Sri Lanka Test match was postponed in December 2017. Players reported feeling queasy due to haze, which made it one of the first international matches to experience such a pollution-related disruption.
A T20 International between India and Bangladesh was scheduled to take place two years later, but it was cancelled due to dangerously high air pollution. There was a lot of discussion and worry for the players' and fans' health when it was decided to play the game in such conditions.
The Sri Lanka-Bangladesh tie has, however, gone forward as scheduled even as Delhi's air quality index (AQI) touched 500 in some places. Bangladesh won the toss and has chosen to bowl first.