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Lucknow Fog Fiasco: Why Fans Blame BCCI for Abandoned India-South Africa T20I

Cricket fans in Lucknow were left frustrated after the fourth T20I against South Africa was called off due to dense fog. Many argued the match should have been scheduled in the afternoon to avoid the predictable evening visibility issues. They pointed to accurate weather forecasts that predicted the fog, questioning the BCCI's planning. The cancellation highlights the challenges of hosting evening matches in North Indian winters.

Key Points: Fans Slam BCCI After Fog Abandons India South Africa T20I in Lucknow

  • Umpires conducted six inspections as fog and AQI near 400 worsened in the evening
  • Young fans expressed disappointment at missing players like Shubman Gill
  • IMD had issued orange and yellow fog alerts for Uttar Pradesh districts
  • BCCI's Tours and Fixtures Committee faces criticism for winter scheduling in Lucknow
3 min read

'Match should have been played in afternoon': Fans react after fourth T20I called off due to dense fog

Frustrated fans demand afternoon matches after dense fog cancels the 4th T20I in Lucknow, criticizing BCCI scheduling amid poor air quality.

"If we knew this, we could have seen this played as a match in the afternoon. - Fan to IANS"

Lucknow, Dec 18

The abandonment of the fourth T20I between India and South Africa in Lucknow due to dense fog sparked frustration among spectators, who felt the match should have been scheduled in the afternoon to avoid visibility issues caused by the winter season in northern and central India.

At the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, on-field umpires Rohan Pandit and K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan conducted six inspections, where the fog got worse as the evening progressed and AQI levels neared 400, before the game was called off.

“We wanted to win in the beginning, but the match didn’t happen. I wanted to see Shubman Gill, but he wasn’t there playing,” said a young boy to IANS outside the stadium.

Another fan asked for the abandoned game to be rescheduled. “The public waited for a long time, including till the end, for the match to happen. Yes, it's a disappointment. We want this match to be rescheduled.”

Interestingly, on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert for ‘very dense fog’ in 13 districts of eastern and central Uttar Pradesh. It also issued a yellow alert for dense fog in 27 districts from the eastern to western parts of the state.

The BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, who holds significant influence in the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Stadium (UPCA), did have a chat with the umpires, but that didn’t force the fog to go down.

Once the match was abandoned, there was huge criticism over the game’s scheduling at this time of the year from the BCCI’s Tours and Fixtures Committee.

“I want to say that today's weather prediction is so accurate that we already know what the weather will be like for the day. If we knew this, we could have seen this played as a match in the afternoon. It could have been held from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. If it had been played in the day, we wouldn't have had this problem.

“All the people who have been disappointed today because of the match cancellation, it wouldn’t have happened if they had planned for it to happen in the afternoon, and it would have happened easily. There is no fog in the afternoon, and everyone would have come,” said another fan to IANS.

He responded affirmatively to whether hosting the game in winter in Lucknow was an error. “Yes, this is a mistake. They should pay attention to this because people come from far and buy tickets with their hard-earned money. The biggest thing for everyone is emotion with the Indian team. Due to this emotion, it hurts everyone, and the biggest thing is this.

“I don't want to get angry. Everyone's safety is important. The safety of our players is very important. We don't want anyone to get hurt or injured. But we want them to know this beforehand. Everything is already known in the forecast. Accordingly, they should have played the match in the afternoon,” he concluded.

nr/bsk/

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priyanka N
While I understand the frustration, we must also consider player safety. Fielding in dense fog with a hard cricket ball is risky. The orange alert was there, so the call was right. But yes, scheduling was poor. A double-header day game would have been perfect.
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Aman W
My son's first live match experience... ruined. He was so excited to see Suryakumar Yadav bat. BCCI needs better planning. They have all the weather data. Why schedule an evening match in peak winter? This is sheer negligence. #BCCIPleaseExplain
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Sarah B
Visiting from the UK and was really looking forward to this. The atmosphere was amazing until the fog rolled in. The fans here are so passionate. It's a shame the authorities didn't use the IMD forecast to change the timing. A lesson for future winter series.
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Karthik V
It's not just about fog, the AQI was nearly 400! That's hazardous. Should we even be playing outdoor sports in such conditions? Maybe BCCI needs to think about hosting winter matches only in coastal or southern cities. Chennai or Mumbai would have been fine.
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Nisha Z
Feel so bad for the fans. The article is spot on. We all check the weather app daily. How did the Tours & Fixtures Committee not do the same? A simple reschedule to 12 PM would have made everyone happy. Hope they offer full refunds at least.

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