The fourth T20 match played between India and South Africa at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow was canceled without a single ball being bowled. The reason was dense fog and smog, which completely destroyed the visibility of the field. After this decision, there was a sharp reaction on social media regarding BCCI’s scheduling and the anger of the fans was clearly visible on social media.
The match, which was scheduled to start at 7 pm on Wednesday, was officially canceled at around 9:30 pm after continuous inspection. The BCCI said in its statement that the match was called off due to “extreme fog”. However, people present in the stadium said that the real reason was the dense smog, due to which it was not safe for the players and umpires to enter the field.
AQI increased concern
On the day of the match, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lucknow was beyond 400, which falls in the ‘Hazardous’ category. Concern regarding the health of the players was also clearly visible. Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a surgical mask during the warm-up. By around 7:30 the players thought it better to stop practice and return to the dressing room.
The spectators who came to watch the match in cold and fog were also disappointed. By 9 pm the crowd present in the stadium gradually started decreasing. Despite six inspections, it was clear that the situation was not going to improve.
Question on BCCI’s planning
This entire incident has raised a big question on the scheduling policy of BCCI. During this entire series, weather and pollution became a big challenge on many grounds of North India. Earlier, in the third T20 played in Dharamshala, the temperature had gone below 10 degrees. After that match, Indian spinner Varun Chakraborty had also admitted that it was very difficult for him to play in such cold. Even during the second T20 played in New Chandigarh, AQI remained in the ‘severe’ category.
Some fans and experts believe that BCCI could have swapped the venue if it wanted. The New Zealand series to be held in January is mostly to be held in West and South India, where the weather is more favorable. Apart from this, options like starting the matches in the afternoon could also be considered.
impact on series
After the cancellation of this match, India is leading 2-1 in the series. Now both the teams will leave for Ahmedabad for the last T20, where the decisive match will be played on Friday.
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