New Delhi, Dec 18 (digihunt) – The fourth T20I between India and South Africa was abandoned due to excessive fog and poor visibility. Following this, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia stated that the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) is the “competent authority” for issuing full refunds to ticket holders.
Fans Seek Refunds
The abandonment of the match led to frustration among spectators, who are now expecting refunds for their tickets. According to the BCCI’s refund policy, fans can receive reimbursement (minus fees) if a match is cancelled or abandoned before any play occurs. Saikia clarified, “That is under the domain of the state cricket association, which is UPCA. So, this game’s hosting state is the UPCA. They will be able to tell you about this, and they are the competent authority.”
He added, “Everything in ticketing is done by the state association, as the BCCI just gives them the hosting rights, and all these things are taken care of and are under the domain of the state association,” while speaking to digihunt on Thursday.
Match Details
Repeated inspections by on-field umpires K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan and Rohan Pandit, along with reserve umpire J.R. Madanagopal, did not yield favorable conditions, leading to the official call-off at 9:30 PM.
As a result of the match being abandoned at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, India maintains a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, with the fifth and final game scheduled at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Scheduling Concerns
This situation has reignited discussions regarding the BCCI’s scheduling of international matches during winter months. The series against South Africa is crucial preparation ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup in February-March.
This was the first time a T20I was held in Lucknow in December, marking it as India’s first significant international match abandoned due to heavy fog.
Health and Safety Issues
India’s seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya was spotted wearing a mask on the field, emphasizing the fog’s severity and the hazardous Air Quality Index (AQI). Concerns over scheduling fixtures in North India during winter have been longstanding, but Saikia regarded Wednesday’s abandonment as an exceptional circumstance.
Saikia’s Remarks on Weather
Saikia noted, “No, it is a solitary weather situation. Normally, we experience this kind of weather in January. This time, it is quite early, and we had a match in Dharamsala the other day, which is much colder. One cannot predict fog and rain. Nowadays, cricket is an annual event, and we must have matches.”
He explained, “When we observed disturbances from fog in northern India in January, we restructured our domestic cricket matches, resulting in a significant gap between Ranji Trophy matches in North India. From last year onwards, we are not scheduling matches in North India during the first part of January. This Lucknow incident is an exceptional weather condition.”
Past Rescheduling Examples
Saikia also referenced the rearrangement of fixtures due to smog in New Delhi post-Diwali, which led to the second Test against the West Indies being held in October instead of the originally planned opener against South Africa.
“If we had sensed any issues, we would have considered rescheduling, as with the West Indies Test match in New Delhi, which was swapped from Kolkata. However, Lucknow’s situation was unexpected, and such unpredictability in weather conditions cannot be foreseen.”
He concluded, “I don’t think Lucknow typically experiences this fog at this time. It is more common in early January, and considering we’re still in late December, we couldn’t have predicted this situation.”
–digihunt
nr/bc