The fourth India-South Africa T20 match in Lucknow on Wednesday had to be cancelled due to intense fog that reduced the visibility, leading to frustration and anger among cricket fans. This morning, the matter reached the corridors of Parliament where Congress MP Shashi Tharoor suggested the BCCI can organise cricket matches in southern states during winter. He made the request to his colleague and BCCI Vice President, Rajeev Shukla.

The match in Lucknow was cancelled at 9:30 pm, infuriating the attendees, many of whom later took to social media to express their anguish. Taking to X on Wednesday, Tharoor said, “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!” he added.

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Tharoor repeats the call in Parliament

A day later, while talking to the media in Parliament premises, Tharoor said how would the player play the game if they can’t see the ball.

“If the ball is not visible, how will we play? That is what I am saying—come to South India, where this issue of pollution does not exist at all. There is no fog here. The ball will be clearly visible, we will play well, and cricket fans will not have any reason to be upset,” he said.

When asked about Congress MP Rajeev Shukla’s remark that the match got disrupted due to fog, Tharoor said, “So why schedule matches in north India at this time? Schedule them in south India. I will tell Rajeev ji.”

Rajeev Shukla joined Tharoor and the Thiruvananthapuram MP conveyed his advice that instead of scheduling matches in north India in January, “come to Kerala.”

Shukla said the matches are allotted to states under a rotation policy, but assured he would look into the same.

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Row around cancellation

The opposition has targeted the current regime over the cancellation of India-South Africa 4th T20I on Wednesday.

“Who is responsible? There is pollution, and fog is unlikely at 5-6 PM, so they are entirely responsible,” Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said.

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has said Delhi’s air pollution has now reached Lucknow.

“The international cricket match in Lucknow could not be played. The reason behind this is not fog, but smog. We had built a park in Lucknow to reduce air pollution, but the BJP is bent on destroying it by organising events. The BJP cares neither about people nor the environment,” he said on X.