Ahead of the Sri Lanka-India World Cup match being held in Delhi, only eight Bangladeshi players have resumed training. The others were advised to rest. The reason why other Bangladeshi players did not take the risk of training in Delhi was attributed to the high level of pollution in Delhi. This advice was given by Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe to the players. The coach said that the players who did not come were actually “asthmatics” and did not want to risk training due to the poor air quality in Delhi.
It was not the first time that Bangladesh canceled training. In fact, one such session was already canceled by Bangladesh on Friday night. In addition, he did something similar on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday night, Bangladesh fielded 13 players ahead of the reduced number of players recorded on Sunday afternoon.
The Hathurusinghe coach said that their doctor had carefully examined the players. The coach further said that some of the players did not show up for training because they were asthmatic and therefore preferred to stay at home. Moreover, the coach further stated that even when the players are practicing, they are aware. The players get what they have to train, and then they rush back to the locker room. In the end, the coach said he took some measures to reduce exposure before the game.
The coach said that the selection of the team will not be affected by the air quality. However, the team is cautious about the long-term effects of playing in such situations. He expressed that the team should practice taking into account the long-term effect of such conditions. He went on to say that the air quality affects both teams and is not ideal. However, the team has no other choice and therefore they have to play in the condition that is in front of them.
He stated that the selection of the team will not depend on the air quality. It will depend on the strength of the teams and the opponent.
Mahinda Halagoda, Sri Lanka’s team manager, said they would be guided by the ICC’s advice.
“We will definitely look at the index. But obviously, we will be guided by the ICC and I think they have a medical committee here and therefore they will be giving us instructions,” Halangoda said.
According to the ICC’s air quality guidelines and the advice of a pulmonologist consulted by the organisers, an air quality index below 200 is considered safe to play in most situations. A higher AQI could lead to problems in the game. However, this is only a guideline and not a strict limit.
On Sunday afternoon, the AQI topped 400. It reached 500 at some point during the day. An air alert was declared in Delhi on Thursday as the AQI crossed 400 in some areas on Thursday.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: newstars.edu.vn