Will Sri Lanka Vs Bangladesh match in Delhi be cancelled due to air pollution?
World Cup match. The face-off is slated to take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday afternoon. But as asthmatic players skip practice and the Central government enforces GRAP 4 restrictions, the smog-shrouded Delhi air has become a key concern.
Both teams cancelled a practice session over the weekend and several players remained indoors in a bid to restrict exposure to fresh air. Meanwhile the ICC has reportedly sought advice from Delhi-based pulmonologist Randeep Guleria for an independent assessment of the situation. “Under Dr Guleria's guidance, the venue team has been taking mitigating actions throughout the day including the implementation of 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," an ICC spokesperson told PTI. A final decision will only be taken on Monday by the match officials. Neither team has put out a venue change request and reports indicate their willingness to abide by the ICC decision.
“We didn't make a request to change (the venue). But we were asking the ICC what would happen because when we came here, we saw the Bangladesh team had cancelled (training) and we saw the outside environment. So, we just asked them what's the plan.
They said they will have a discussion, and then they'll come back. I think they have installed some equipment here, and they've got specialists to check and they are helping them out," Sri Lankan cricket team manager Mahinda Halangoda told PTI. It is not the first time that a match is taking place in the national capital under such circumstances.
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