The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia has defended the decision to host a test match in Delhi in the month of November.
South Africa is set to travel to India to play a two-match test series, three match ODI series and five match T20I series starting on November 14 which is a part of India’s home season 2025.
The decision to choose Delhi as a venue for the tests, particularly in November didn’t go down well with the fans, who criticised BCCI for not taking severe pollution levels of the city into account.
However, Devajit Saikia has defended the saying the Board held discussions with all the stakeholders before finalising the venue and stressed that the pollution issue doesn’t happen every year.
“We have considered all factors and have gone by the rotation policy after discussing it with everyone. The pollution issue doesn’t happen every year,” Saikia told media.
Meanwhile, DDCA (Delhi And District Cricket Association) secretary Ashok Sharma assured that they will take all measures to ensure player’s safety and also mentioned that the pollution levels in the month of November are slightly better than December.
“The DDCA will take all measures possible to ensure players are comfortable when they play the Test match. Also, the Arun Jaitley Stadium is located in a relatively open area with more green area around.”
“So the air quality is better than in most other areas. Delhi had not been allotted a Test match for a while. The BCCI allotted us the game, so we have to go by the calendar. In November, the pollution, if at all, is less compared to December,” said Ashok Kumar.
The last test match at the venue was played in February 2023 against Australia, where India emerged victorious by six wickets. However, the match held in December 2017 against Sri Lanka turned out to be a controversial affair as Sri Lankan players complained of facing breathing difficulties during the game.
Delhi’s air quality in the month of October and November, has got worse due to stubble burning in the neighbouring states. It remains to be seen what measures the BCCI and DDCA will take to ensure a smooth hosting of the crucial fixture.
