The episode, which resulted in no ball being bowled despite numerous inspections, drew harsh criticism from supporters and political figures, compelling BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla to acknowledge that match scheduling during the North Indian winters need a significant reassessment. The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) winter schedule has come under fire once more after the fourth Twenty20 International between India and South Africa was postponed in Lucknow due to heavy fog.
“The fog forced the cancellation of the contest. It infuriated the populace. In order to decide whether to move the matches from North India to South or West India, we must examine the scheduling of those games from December 15 to January 15. Fog is also affecting domestic matches, according to Shukla.
Due to poor visibility brought on by too much fog, the fourth Twenty20 International of the five-match series, which was supposed to take place on December 17 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, was cancelled. Before calling off the game at 9.26 p.m., match officials performed six inspections, including visual checks from the boundary to identify the white ball. The main issue, according to umpires, was visibility, even though Lucknow’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was in the dangerous 400s. India now leads the series 2-1 after the washout, and Ahmedabad will host the final.
Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP, talked candidly about the BCCI’s choice to hold a night game in North India during the hottest part of winter. Tharoor encouraged the board to relocate winter matches to South India, especially Kerala, where fog and pollution are much less common, while speaking to the media and then confronting Shukla outside Parliament. He emphasised that fans should have better planning and pointed out that cricket cannot be played if the ball is not visible.
Tharoor said to Shukla, “Rajiv ji, aside from setting up matches in North India in January, Kerala aaiye (come to Kerala).”
In addition, Tharoor posted on social media about the poor air quality in Thiruvananthapuram compared to Lucknow, arguing that the latter should have been the venue for the game.
“Cricket enthusiasts have been waiting in vain for Lucknow to host the #INDVSSAODI. However, visibility is too bad to allow for a game of cricket due to the heavy haze that permeates most northern Indian cities and has an AQI of 411. The game should have been held in Thiruvananthapuram, where the current AQI is at 68. On X, Tharoor wrote.
Rajeev Shukla acknowledged that the BCCI has to reconsider its scheduling practices in response to the criticism. He said that in order to prevent inconveniences caused by fog, matches between December 15 and January 15 might be moved to South or West India. Shukla acknowledged that North Indian winters present a significant obstacle for both domestic and international cricket, pointing out that Kerala already receives its fair share of international matches because of a rotation mechanism.
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