World Cup 2023: No fireworks in Delhi and Mumbai games due to air quality issues, announces BCCI

In a significant move, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a big announcement that there will be no fireworks show during the World Cup 2023 matches in Mumbai and Delhi. It is to be noted that the decision has come in the aftermath of the poor air quality in both the major cities of the country. This has been a prevalent issue in both cities for quite some time and, hence, the board is wary of it and has put aside the fireworks display.

Jay Shah, the Secretary of BCCI,formally addressed the concern with the International Cricket Council (ICC)in a bidto prevent any such activity that could further harm the pollution levels."BCCI is sensitive to environmental concerns. I took up the matter formally with the ICC and there won’t be any fireworks display in Mumbai and Delhi, which can add to the pollution level," Shah said. He further added, "The Board is committed to combating environmental issues and will always place the interest of our fans and stakeholders at the forefront."

There are as many as four games which are to be held in Mumbai (three) and Delhi (one). Mumbai will also host the first semi-final, on November 15. Thus, the BCCI has taken a much-needed step to ensurecommitment to environmental concerns.

Talking about the World Cup, so far, a majority of theteams are alive in the semi-finals race with hosts India and South Africa very close to securing their berths. Meanwhile, New Zealand and Australia are expected to seal the next two slots but the likes of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands are still in the hunt -- although their chances are very low. Meanwhile, defending champions England have been a pale shadow of themselves and are languishing at the bottom whereas Bangladesh are at the penultimate spot and both sides still have a lot to play for, with the 2025 Champions Trophy slots up for grabs.