'Dont cheat cricket fans': Shashi Tharoor urges BCCI to shift winter matches to South India
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday urged authorities to avoid scheduling international matches in north India between mid-December and mid-January, citing persistent fog and poor visibility during the winter months. He suggested that matches during this period should instead be held in southern states, where weather conditions are more conducive to play, so that cricket fans do not feel cheated. Tharoors remarks came a day after the fourth T20 international between India and South Africa at Lucknows Ekana Stadium was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to dense smog and poor visibility. The match cancellation sparked criticism of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI )'s decision to host fixtures in north India during peak winter. Fourth India vs South Africa T20I called off due to fog in Lucknow, Gill set to miss last game with toe injury Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Tharoor said: My concern is that from the middle of December till the middle of January, every place in northern India is subject to fog, and you know perfectly well about it; it becomes impossible for cricketers to even see the ball. Describing the frustration among fans after the abandoned match, he added, Yesterday, the whole nation was frustrated that we could not have the match between South Africa and India. So, my argument simply is that during this period, schedule the matches in South India. During his interaction with the media, Tharoor also had a light-hearted exchange with BCCI Vice President and fellow Congress MP Rajeev Shukla, who happened to be passing by. Calling out to him, Tharoor remarked, Come and play in South India at this time. Highlighting Keralas readiness to host international cricket, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said: My Thiruvananthapuram has a wonderful stadium, we are ready to host people. Come and play. He pointed out that the Indian womens cricket team is already scheduled to play there towards the end of December. Tharoor stressed that weather conditions must be a key factor in planning fixtures. We should urge the BCCI to take the weather conditions into account when scheduling, he said. Kerala is ready, and I am sure other southern places are not going to have this kind of fog and poor visibility. So from mid-December to mid-January, no cricket matches in north India, please dont cheat cricket lovers. Earlier, Tharoor had also raised the issue in a post on X on Wednesday night, noting that cricket fans in Lucknow had been waiting in vain for the match to begin due to dense smog and an air quality index of 411, while Thiruvananthapuram, he said, had an AQI of around 68 at the same time.
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