Delhi: The fourth T20 International match played between India and South Africa was canceled without a single ball being bowled, after which serious discussions have started in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the winter schedule. This match could not be held at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow due to extremely poor visibility, after which Board Vice President Rajeev Shukla has indicated about major changes.

Smog worsened the situation in Lucknow

The match was officially declared canceled due to ‘excessive fog’, but in reality there was smog in and around the stadium. The level of pollution in the air was so high that serious concerns arose regarding the safety of the players. Visibility continued to decrease and as the evening progressed, the situation became worse.

Rare incident in international cricket

This was only the second time in the history of international cricket that a match had to be abandoned due to fog or circumstances. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lucknow had crossed 400, which is kept in the ‘hazardous’ category. The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a mask during the warm-up.

Repeated inspection, still no way found

The time of the match was fixed at 7 pm, but despite six inspections, the umpires and match officials did not find conditions to start the game. Ultimately the decision was taken to cancel the match at around 9:30 pm. However, even before this it had become clear that there was no possibility of the situation improving.

Brainstorming on winter schedule in BCCI

According to Times Now, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and said that the board will have to reconsider organizing matches in North India during the winter. He indicated that winter competitions in North India may be stopped in future. Shukla also clarified that air pollution can no longer be seen as a minor problem, rather it needs to be treated like an emergency.

The last match of the series will be held in Ahmedabad

The fifth and last match of the T20 series between India and South Africa will now be played in Ahmedabad on Friday. This will be the last match of South Africa’s tour of India. At present, the Indian team is leading 2-1 in the series and the match to be held in Ahmedabad can prove to be decisive in terms of the outcome of the series.