WATCH | Shashi Tharoor urges Rajeev Shukla to ‘bring India matches to Kerala’ after fog plays spoilsport in Lucknow
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "WATCH | Shashi Tharoor urges Rajeev Shukla to ‘bring India matches to Kerala’ after fog plays spoilsport in Lucknow")
Shashi Tharoor Photograph: (AFP)
During the direct interaction with Rajeev Shukla, Tharoor said that the board (BCCI) should consider Kerala for future matches.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla was questioned by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor outside Parliament on Thursday (Dec 18) about hosting night cricket matches in North India during winter. This came after the fourth T20I match between India and South Africa in Lucknow was cancelled on Wednesday (Dec 17) due to heavy fog. While it is very rare for an international match to be called off without a single ball being bowled because of fog. Fans also criticised the BCCI after the match was abandoned around 9:30 pm. However, India continues to lead the series 2-1, with the final match scheduled in Ahmedabad on Friday (Dec 19).
Shashi Tharoor posted on his X that the match between India and South Africa should have been played in Thiruvananthapuram, which has cleaner air than Lucknow.
“Cricket fans have been waiting in vain for the #INDVSSAODI to start in Lucknow. But thanks to dense smog, pervasive in most north Indian cities, and an AQI of 411, visibility is too poor to permit a game of cricket. They should’ve scheduled the game in Thiruvananthapuram, where AQI is about 68 right now!” Tharoor wrote on X.
During the direct interaction with Rajeev Shukla, Tharoor said that the board (BCCI) should consider Kerala for future matches.
“Rajiv ji, I was saying that apart from scheduling matches in North India in January, Kerala aaiye (come to Kerala),” Tharoor told Shukla.
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Replying to Tharoor’s suggestion, Shukla said: “Woh scheduling mein dhiyan dena padega (the scheduling will have to be looked into). From December 15 to January 15, can we allocate matches to South India instead of North India? Kerala already gets them; there is a rotation policy in place," as quoted by Firstpost.
Winter matches in North India have long been debated because of fog, smog and poor air quality. On Wednesday, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was also seen wearing a mask at the Ekana Stadium, highlighting concerns about planning matches under such conditions.
