In response to “severe” air pollution in the national capital, Sri Lanka canceled their initial training session, following Bangladesh’s decision to avoid practicing as well due to deteriorating air quality. While Bangladesh made the choice not to train on Friday as pollution levels reached the “severe plus” category in Delhi, Sri Lanka also opted to remain indoors when the Air Quality Index registered at 407 in the morning on Saturday. An SLC source cited the air quality as the reason behind the cancellation of Saturday’s training session. Meanwhile, Bangladesh plans to brave the pollution just two days before their scheduled game on Monday, with a training session set for Saturday at 6 PM.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) serves as a measure of air quality, with various ranges indicating different levels of pollution. An AQI reading between zero and 50 is considered “good,” 51 to 100 is “satisfactory,” 101 to 200 is “moderate,” 201 to 300 is “poor,” 301 to 400 is “very poor,” and 401 to 500 is “severe.” While it seems unlikely that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will relocate the match from Delhi, the decision regarding the match’s continuation will only be made on the day of the event. An ICC spokesperson mentioned that they are monitoring the air quality in Delhi and seeking expert advice to assess the situation, emphasizing the importance of participants’ well-being. Notably, this isn’t the first instance of Sri Lanka grappling with Delhi’s notorious air pollution, as players had to wear masks during the Test series in 2017. On Friday, the Bangladesh team director explained that players developed coughs after being outside in the city, leading to the cancellation of their initial training session as a precautionary measure due to health risks associated with deteriorating air quality.
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