Shashi Tharoor urges BCCI to shift winter cricket matches to south India due to fog
After Lucknow T20 washout, the Congress MP says north India’s winter smog “cheats cricket lovers”, pitches Thiruvananthapuram as an alternative venue
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday called for cricket matches between mid-December to mid-January to be scheduled in south India instead of the north, which experiences heavy fog during the period, so cricket lovers don't feel cheated.
His remarks came a day after the fourth T20 between India and South Africa in Lucknow was called off because of poor visibility. A dense layer of smog engulfed the Ekana Stadium, raising serious questions about BCCI's scheduling of matches in north India during peak winter.
"My concern is that in the middle of December till the middle of January, every place in northern India is subject to fog and you know perfectly well when the fog is like this at this time of the year, it becomes impossible for cricketers to even see the ball," Tharoor, an avid cricket fan, told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
"Yesterday, the whole nation was frustrated that we could not have the match between South Africa and India. So, my argument simply is that during this period, schedule the matches in south India. My Thiruvananthapuram has a wonderful stadium, we are ready to host people. Come and play," Tharoor said.
The women's cricket team, he noted, is scheduled to play there towards the end of December.
"We should urge the BCCI to take the weather conditions into account when scheduling," he said.
"Kerala is ready and I am sure other southern places are not going to have this kind of fog and poor visibility. So from mid-December to mid-January no cricket matches in north India please... don't cheat cricket lovers," Tharoor said.
The Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram had put out an X post on the issue on Wednesday night.
"Cricket fans have been waiting in vain for the #INDVSSAODI to start in Lucknow. But thanks to dense smog, pervasive in most north Indian cities, and an AQI of 411, visibility is too poor to permit a game of cricket. They should’ve scheduled the game in Thiruvananthapuram, where AQI is about 68 right now!" PTI