As Delhi’s polluted air turned from bad to worse, it affected lives in more ways than one. While cases of respiratory ailments saw an exponential rise, schools and colleges were shut down. Several tourists planning to visit the National Capital for the Diwali holidays, quickly cancelled their trip. Delhiites have toned down their festivities as fireworks have been banned and people are restricting their shopping sprees. Several events in the Capital were cancelled. In fact, the Cricket World Cup 2023 match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that was held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on November 6, was almost called off.

The average air quality index (AQI) continues to hover well above the 400 mark over the past week, making it one of the worst spells of smog and pollution. According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) guidelines on air quality, as well as a pulmonologist whom the organisers have been consulting, an AQI reading of below 200 is considered safe for play in most cases, reported sports news website Espncricinfo.

Till now, five matches have taken place in Delhi and there are no more matches scheduled in the National Capital for the ongoing World Cup. Matches have also taken place in other cities with high pollution levels, like Lucknow, Bangalore and Mumbai. Test captain for England Ben Stokes was also witnessed using an inhaler during training ahead of the game against Sri Lanka in Bangalore.

According to an article in Down To Earth magazine, this is not the first time the air quality in the city has played a role in determining whether matches should be held. The effect of hazardous air on sporting events first grabbed headlines in December 2017, when Sri Lanka played a test match wearing masks on the field. A haze of smog reduced visibility on the ground and players reported effects like nausea.

The question of not hosting international cricket matches in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata again came up in 2019, when an international T-20 match between India and Bangladesh on November 3, 2023 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. 

ICC had set standards for air pollution, meaning matches could potentially be “cancelled if air quality worsened”. After images of Sri Lankan players wearing masks in 2017 came out, the council issued a statement, saying they had taken note of the conditions in which the test match was played. 

“We have already referred this issue to our medical committee so that guidelines and standards can be set to deal with such issues in the future,” the ICC stated.

According to a Mint news report, while ICC has rules in place for weather conditions like rain, the issue of air pollution affecting the sport has emerged for the first time. ICC said it was monitoring Delhi’s air quality and took seriously “the wellbeing of all participants” ahead of the match.  Another DTE report in 2019 also mentioned that the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced that in future. “Delhi may be deprived of hosting international matches during November and December,” it said.

It also quoted former Uttar Pradesh Ranji player Vishwajit Singh as saying, “There is so much money in Indian cricket that it will weaken even a big issue like pollution. Although the ICC has announced the formulation of pollution standards, it remains to be seen how far it will be able to prepare the correct standards by freeing itself from the dominance of the Indian Cricket Board in world cricket. Air pollution certainly affects sports, but it is not possible for cricket to stop in India due to pollution. After all it has settled in the veins of Indians.”