cricket

Updated: Nov 01, 2019 11:52 IST

Three cricketers of the Bangladesh cricket team and a support staff member were spotted wearing masks on Friday in the their training session ahead of the first T20I as Delhi’s air quality dipped to emergency levels, breaching the severe+ mark.

Hindustan Times had reported that the Bangladesh management was arranging more masks after head coach Russell Domingo and a few other cricketers complained of breathing problems after Thursday’s training.

“It is up to the players, if they want to use the mask they can, it is their choice,” a BCB source told ANI.

On Thursday Liton Das was the only Bangladesh cricketer wearing a mask but on Friday three of them took the same route at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) value in New Delhi was hovering at 459 at 8 am on Friday after pollution levels breached the ‘severe+’ zone late on Thursday night.

This is the first time that the air quality has dipped to emergency levels in the national capital this season. Such a situation was last seen in January 2019.

Despite alarm bells from various quarters regarding Delhi’s poor air quality, BCCI decided to go ahead with the match on November 3 as newly elected president Sourav Ganguly pointed out that it was too late to change the venue.

“We have spoken to Delhi authorities in the last two days. They are expecting the match to go through. It could not be cancelled in the last minute,” Ganguly said.

India stand-in captain Rohit Sharma too sounded confident about Sunday’s match going ahead without any difficulty.

“I have just landed and haven’t had time to assess. As far as I know the game is to be played on November 3 and will be played,” Rohit said.