Shocking! Indian Air pollution is making England players do this in World Cup 2023

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England are having a dismal period in the ICC World Cup 2023 as the reigning World Champions are on the verge of elimination from the tournament.

Amid their woes on the field, it is being reported that the English players are struggling off the field as well. According to i, English players are using inhalers to combat air pollution in India.

Already the English team have questioned the natural conditions in India amid their disappointing performances. After their defeat against South Africa in Mumbai, Joe Root questioned the quality of Mumbai air.

"It just felt like you couldn't get your breath. It was unique," Root said.

Root then tried to manoeuvre his words by saying, "Who knows whether it was air quality? I'm not qualified to know. It felt like quite a hazy day, wasn't it? And you could definitely see that from one side of the ground looking back towards the sun, it was a lot harder visually than it was on the other side of the ground. Whether it was air quality or what, it was definitely an experience I've not had before."

According to i, England players are using inhalers sporadically in this tournament and using them based on the venue. When they were in Mumbai and Delhi, the inhalers were of regular usage.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and Mumbai are over 200, which often indicates 'Hazardous' as per as the WHO guidelines. Although the Bengaluru AQI is much better (around 70 to 80), England's Ben Stokes was pictured taking an inhaler there ahead of England's match against Sri Lanka.

The English team has also confirmed that the substances used in the inhaler comply with the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) code that the International Cricket Council adhere to. The players are also being tested regularly and no such issues have occured.

England are up against Australia next at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The latest AQI in Ahmedabad is around 140, hence it is to be seen if it causes any adversity for the English players.