Shashi Tharoor requests BCCI to hold matches in South India instead of North India in winters

The cancellation of the fourth T20 International match to be played between India and South Africa in Lucknow has intensified the debate on the decisions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to organize matches in winter. The match, to be held at Ekana Stadium on Wednesday evening, was considered completely unsafe due to dense fog and was canceled without even a single ball being bowled.

India’s lead in the series

The decision was taken at around 9:30 pm, which is one of the rare instances of a match being canceled due to fog in international cricket. Although India still lead the series 2-1 and the final match is scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad on Friday, the incident in Lucknow has sparked discontent among fans and rekindled concerns over holding night matches during the cold winter in North India.

The issue also came to the fore politically when Congress MP Shashi Tharoor questioned BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla outside Parliament. Tharoor expressed concern over air quality and visibility problems in North India and suggested that these problems could be mitigated by using alternative locations in South India. He said that such obstacles can be avoided by playing matches in southern states like Kerala instead of organizing matches in North India in January.

Tharoor stressed during the interaction that fog in North India from mid-December to mid-January makes it difficult for cricketers to see the ball. Yesterday the whole country was disappointed that the match between India and South Africa could not be held. Therefore, I request that matches should be organized in South India during this period. Thiruvananthapuram has a wonderful stadium, we are ready to host people.

Rajeev Shukla acknowledged Tharoor’s concern

Rajeev Shukla acknowledged Tharoor’s concerns and, citing current logistical challenges, said that in future, allocation of winter matches to South India instead of North India could be considered. He told that rotation policy is already in force in Kerala, due to which such schedule can be improved.

There has been a long-running debate about holding matches in winter in North India, mainly due to fog, haze and poor air quality. Pictures from the canceled match in Lucknow showed Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya wearing a mask in the stadium, which clearly shows how serious the environmental challenges can be when organizing the Games in winter. This incident has forced the BCCI and other concerned authorities to reconsider the match schedule in winter.