The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be more careful next time before slotting matches in New Delhi and other parts of northern India especially during the post-Diwali period.
Pollution and smog, the after-effects of Diwali celebrations in New Delhi, have once again put the Kotla under scanner as it gets ready to host the first of the three India versus Bangladesh T20Is on Sunday.
“We’ve spoken to the authorities in Delhi (and the DDCA) in the last two days. They are expecting the match to go through. It was already scheduled, so we couldn’t cancel it at the last minute,” BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said at the Eden on Thursday.
“We came in on October 28 and it was too late to do anything as a lot of preparations are done in hosting matches. So, it wasn’t possible to cancel everything. I hope the match goes through. But yeah, post Diwali is a difficult time in the north because winter comes in and then there’s smoke, dust and so on. So in future, when we schedule matches especially in the northern part of India during winter, we’ll have to be a little bit more practical,” Sourav added.
Doubts over how the pink SG ball would behave in the Day-Night Test at Eden Gardens from November 22 are still there. But Sourav has a simple message for both India and Bangladesh. “When it seams, you have to play. And when it spins, you have to do the same. That’s it,” Sourav stated.
“Look, everything will be fine. I have played with the pink Dukes for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) many, many days back. Now to talk of the SG ball, we will get to know how it is only when the game begins. It will be fine... If there are problems, we will address them,” he added.
Going back to the upcoming pink-ball Test at the Eden, Sourav said he is “trying to get hold of” Sachin Tendulkar too for the felicitation of all the players who were part of Bangladesh’s maiden Test match, against India back in 2000 in Dhaka.
“Invites have been sent to the PMO and the home minister’s office... Depends on whether they accept the invitation or not,” Sourav said.
Invitations have also been sent to Viswanathan Anand and Sania Mirza for their presence on Day I of the Day-Night Test. Legendary Runa Laila is also expected to be at the Eden.
