The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is facing intense scrutiny and a potential policy overhaul after the fourth T20 International between India and South Africa in Lucknow was abandoned without a single ball being bowled. The culprit was not rain but a severe blanket of smog and fog, raising urgent questions about scheduling matches in North India during the winter months.
A Match Called Off in Hazardous Conditions
The highly anticipated clash at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium was officially called off on Wednesday evening after six frustrating inspections by the match officials. While the official reason cited was "excessive fog," the real issue was a thick layer of smog that drastically reduced visibility and posed serious concerns for player safety.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lucknow was recorded above 400, well into the 'hazardous' category. The alarming conditions were starkly highlighted when Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a surgical mask during warm-ups, an image that swiftly went viral on social media.
The match, scheduled for a 7 pm start, saw players cut short their warm-ups by 7:30 pm as visibility worsened. By 9 pm, disheartened fans began leaving the stadium in large numbers, and the contest was finally abandoned around 9:30 pm. This marked only the second time in international cricket history that a match has been abandoned due to fog.
BCCI Vice-President Admits Need for Drastic Steps
In an exclusive conversation with Times Now, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla acknowledged the gravity of the situation and signaled a major shift in the board's approach. Shukla, who was present at the ground and inspected the conditions himself, stated that the BCCI will have to seriously reconsider its winter calendar.
"BCCI will have to rethink winter scheduling and stop matches in North India," Shukla asserted. He emphasized that air pollution can no longer be dismissed as a mere inconvenience, labeling it an emergency that demands an emergency-level response. "It is an emergency and needs to be treated like one," he said.
Broader Criticism of Venue Selection and What's Next
The abandoned match has amplified broader criticism of the BCCI's venue selection for the ongoing South Africa tour. The series has spanned cities like New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, and Lucknow during November and December—a period notoriously plagued by fog, cold, and severe pollution across North India.
Just last week, the T20I in Dharamsala was played in biting sub-10-degree Celsius temperatures, with Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy admitting the conditions were exceptionally challenging for players.
With no reserve day allocated for the Lucknow T20I, the series outcome now hinges on the final match. Both teams will travel to Ahmedabad for the series decider on Friday, with India leading the five-match series 2-1. The incident in Lucknow, however, has cast a long shadow, forcing the world's richest cricket board into a period of serious introspection about balancing the commercial calendar with athlete welfare and playable conditions.
