BCCI to keep eye on Delhi air

The embattled Board of Control for Cricket in India will now take a call on scheduling cricket in Delhi in future after the furore over pollution levels that have prevailed during the ongoing third and final India-Sri Lanka Test match here.

Acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary said: “Delhi will only be awarded an international match from here on after duly considering the pollution levels at that particular time of the year.”

“Pollution levels are high, without any doubt. We need to be sensititve enough to understand the concerns of the players and teams,” he said, soon after an AIIMS doctor had said a group of Sri Lankan players he had run tests on for blood oxygen levels, among others, were fine.

Choudhary was, however, clear that from now on, weather conditions would also be taken into account from next time while deciding venues for both international and domestic matches.

“We know like in Delhi, foggy conditions prevail between November-end till early January. We can’t really predict the pollution levels but we can well schedule all our matches, international or Ranji, accordingly to avoid situations like this,” Choudhary added.

For the record, the fourth day of the third Test started with poor visibility and the floodlights had to be switched on in the morning itself for play to get under way.