As the England cricket team navigates their challenging World Cup journey in India, they've turned to occasional inhaler use to combat the high levels of pollution in major Indian cities. This adaptation has become a necessity, as reported by the British newspaper 'I', particularly because these inhalers are typically associated with asthma sufferers.
Even Test captain Ben Stokes was observed using these inhalers during training before their game against Sri Lanka in Bangalore.
The concern surrounding air quality and pollution has been prominent, especially as Delhi's air quality recently entered the 'severe' category, breaching the 400-mark. This issue has extended to Mumbai as well, prompting India's captain, Rohit Sharma, to address the matter as well.
"I mean, in an ideal world, you don’t want a situation like this, but I’m pretty sure the concerned people are taking the necessary steps. It's not ideal, everyone knows that. But obviously, looking at our future generations – your kids, my kids – obviously, it’s quite important that they get to live without any fear."
"So, yeah, every time I get to speak outside of cricket, if we are not discussing cricket, I always talk about this. You know we have to look after our future generations," said Rohit on November 1.
England are presently in Ahmedabad for their match against arch-rivals Australia. However, according to the British paper, the players are not expected to use inhalers because the city boasts acceptable air quality.
England batter Joe Root was questioned about air pollution in Mumbai after their significant loss to South Africa last month. However, he did not attribute it as a contributing factor to the team's defeat. "It just felt like you couldn't get your breath. It was unique," he said.
"Who knows whether it was air quality? I am not qualified to know. It felt like quite a hazy day, wasn't it? And you could definitely see that from one side of the ground looking back towards the sun, it was a lot harder visually than it was on the other side of the ground.
"Whether it was air quality or what, it was definitely an experience I've not had before," Root said.
The Bombay High Court expressed concerns about the deteriorating air quality index in Mumbai on October 31, taking suo motu cognisance of the issue. The air quality situation is even more critical in Delhi, where Sri Lanka is scheduled to play against Bangladesh on November 6.
In 2017, Sri Lankan players were compelled to wear masks on the field during the third match of the Test series in New Delhi. According to a study published in Lancet, pollution led to over 2.3 million deaths in India in 2019.
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