India’s deteriorating smog has been highlighted by international cricket stars as they endure stifling conditions during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, drawing attention to the nation's noxious air in advance of its bid to host the Olympic Games.
As reported by Bloomberg, several major cities hosting World Cup matches in recent weeks continue to experience air quality levels categorised as "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy," according to the monitoring firm IQAir. New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata are currently ranked among the top 10 cities in the world for air pollution.
Before their match on Monday in New Delhi, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka cancelled a training session over the weekend on the advice of medical professionals. Some players with asthma remained at their hotel. The game proceeded, even though the capital was designated as the world's most polluted major city by IQAir last week.
While India has grappled with perilous air quality for many years, especially in New Delhi, the sight of cricketers battling it out in this year's toxic haze is gaining international attention at a crucial juncture.
India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is preparing to entice the Olympics to the country for the first time in 2036 to enhance the nation's reputation, much as the Beijing Games did for China in 2008.
Last week, India's captain, Rohit Sharma, expressed his astonishment at pollution levels in his hometown of Mumbai during a press conference. He remarked that it was "far from ideal" before a game against Sri Lanka and expressed broader concerns for the welfare of India's children.
The intervention by such an "influential figure" like Sharma is of particular significance and may help shift Indian perceptions regarding the country's perilous air quality, stated Karthik Ganesan, a director at the New Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment, and Water Research Institute.
Ben Stokes of England was observed using an inhaler during a training session in the southern tech hub of Bengaluru last month.
Stokes's teammate Joe Root remarked that playing in Mumbai felt akin to "breathing air."
“It just felt like you couldn’t get your breath,” Root told reporters a week after his team was trounced by South Africa in the city. “It was unique.”
The global and local governing bodies – the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India – did not immediately respond to Bloomberg's requests for comment.
The deteriorating conditions prompted India's cricket board to ban traditional firework displays in the two cities following World Cup matches.
The pollution is just the latest headache for the BCCI. It faced criticism for poor planning right at the opening of the World Cup, with ticketing chaos and last-minute schedule changes prompting an outcry from fans trying to attend highly anticipated matches – including the India-Pakistan game last month.
India's track record in hosting large-scale sporting events has been inconsistent so far, highlighting the various obstacles it needs to overcome before winning the bid to host the Olympics.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi were plagued by corruption scandals and poorly constructed facilities. India's lively democracy also makes it more challenging to address multifaceted issues such as pollution compared to China.