BAN vs SL, World Cup 2023: Will Poor Air Quality Lead To Cancellation Of Match In Delhi?

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Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka ICC World Cup 2023 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi is likely to go on as scheduled on Monday (November 6) depite the severe Air Quality in the city since last week.

The two teams have had limited practice sessions as well owing to the pollution, which is something that is not new to Delhi. Some asthmatic members of the Bangladesh team stayed indoors, while Sri Lankan players resorted to masks, as per Reuters.

There were reports that the match could be abandoned due to the severe AQI, but recent report from CricBuzz states that the fixture will be played after the advice from renowned Pulmonologist Dr Randeep Guleria.

According to the report, BCCI has acquired the services of Dr Guleria to assess the situation in Delhi ahead of Monday's game and provide independent expert advice.

The report added that the Arun Jaitley Stadium team has been taking mitigating actions throughout the day by using water sprinklers around the premises and the installation of air purifiers in the dressing rooms and match officials areas.

The AQI within the stadium was monitored throughout the day which has reduced to levels considered acceptable by Dr Guleria, meaning the match will go on as per schedule and ICC also confirmed the same via their statement to CricBuzz.

According to article 2.8 of ICC's playing conditions, "If at any time the umpires together agree that the conditions of ground, weather or light, or any other circumstances are dangerous or unreasonable, they shall immediately suspend play, or not allow play to start or to recommence."

"The decision as to whether conditions are so bad as to warrant such action is one for the umpires alone to make, following consultation with the ICC Match Referee."

This is not the first time a game has come under the cloud due to poor air quality. Several Ranji Trophy matches have been disrupted by the poor AQI, while two international matches have also been affected by the pollution in Delhi.

Earlier in 2017, ICC added air quality also as weather events that interfere with play after many players had vomited following stints in the field, and suffered other reported respiratory problems during a Test between Sri Lanka and India in Delhi.

Two years later, however, a T20I match between India and Bangladesh went on as scheduled despite the poor conditions, receiving criticism for holding the match.

Some parts of Delhi have exceeded 700 plus in AQI, which falls in the severe plus category. The different categories are: Poor - AQI 201-300; Very Poor - AQI 301-400; Severe - AQI 401-450; and 'Severe Plus - AQI >450. So, anything below 200 will be acceptable for the match to be held in Delhi.