Last Updated on 7 years by Charbel Coorey
India v Sri Lanka “contests” in 2017 haven’t offered much to talk about. India are on track to win their fifth Test against Sri Lanka this year out of six Tests. It’s been horribly one-sided.
What’s also horrible is how Delhi is still getting international matches. This Test has been an absolute farce and a terrible advert for cricket, with the poor Sri Lankans understandably struggling with the extremely poor air quality of the Indian capital. What’s been more disappointing is some of the reactions.
Players have been feeling unwell and throwing up. Coaching staff have had to put the whites on because there aren’t enough healthy fielders. Players got the masks out. What sort of advert for cricket is that?
Why do administrators not take into account the health of the players when scheduling series? Too much cricket is not a problem for administrators because it brings in the money, but surely the health of the players needs to be considered?
What’s even worse is Team India claiming Sri Lanka were deliberately trying to waste time. As a cricket fan, that’s infuriating to see. Sri Lanka have played India five times previously in Tests in 2017, and didn’t “waste” any time. But all of a sudden, in the most polluted city in the world, Sri Lanka are wasting time. How does that work? Does the image of Suranga Lakmal vomiting above suggest wasting time?
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| Sri Lanka players struggle with the Delhi pollution |
The Air Quality Index (AQI), an index that reports daily air quality, showcases Delhi as the worst major city in the world in terms of air pollution. An AQI of 0-50 shows that the air is very clean. An AQI of 301-500 shows hazardous Air Quality.
Under a month ago, on November 8, Delhi’s AQI was said to be around the 400 mark, which is extreme. Some reporting stations even reported an AQI of 999, such is the extreme nature of Delhi’s pollution. This represents a major, and potentially fatal, health risk and yet cricket is scheduled there?
Even worse, Sri Lanka were said to be wasting time. An argument has been that Virat Kohli batted for hours and didn’t require a mask, but this doesn’t mean he or any Indian player is not affected by the air quality. It is said that breathing in the Delhi air is like smoking 50 cigarettes a day, and remember, the Sri Lankan cricketers are not used to conditions like these. Just because someone is going on about their business as normal doesn’t mean their health isn’t affected. If you smoke one cigarette, you won’t feel the impact right away. But when you start smoking 50 a day, which is equivalent to breathing in the Delhi air, your health will really begin to suffer.
This should be a lesson for all future series. The health and safety of the players must come first. Even if a player doesn’t seem affected, he is. Cricketers aren’t different to the millions of people who are sick due to the Delhi air.
It’s time to see the BCCI take a stance for the better. No more cricket in Delhi until the air quality improves significantly. We should never see what we have seen in this Test.
Rant over.
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