Mahmudullah downplays pollution factor, says 'everyone is healthy'

Bangladesh T20 skipper Mahmudullah revealed Bangladesh's game plan for India ahead of their first T20 clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on November 3. The game is set to take place in the nation's capital amid worrying pollution levels and hazardous air quality. The players from both sides have downplayed the pollution factor affecting the game and have said that the quality of air wouldn't hamper the three-hour contest even though some members of the Bangladesh side were seen wearing masks while training at the stadium. 

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Mahmudullah says everyone in the team is healthy

Responding to a question on how the team was going to tackle the pollution, Mahmudullah said that the team had been practising for over two days and had adapted to the conditions. Mahmudullah said that all the players in the Bangladesh squad were healthy and that the focus was going to be on the game as pollution was not under their control. Mahmudullah also revealed the team's strategy for India and said that it was an opportunity for youngsters to prove themselves and cement their place in the national side.  

"There was smog when we came, we practised for three days and tried to adapt to conditions. It is not under our control. Everyone in the team is healthy", said Mahmudullah while addressing the pre-match press conference. 

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Ashwin calls air quality in Delhi as 'scary'

Team India's Test spinner Ravichandran Ashwin called the quality of air in Delhi as 'scary' ahead of the first T20 against Bangladesh, set to be played on Sunday. The nation's capital has been engulfed in polluted air with the quality reaching hazardous levels. The players, from both Indian and Bangladesh camps, have played down the pollution factor, reasoning that it was just a three-hour game. The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to shift the venue and has instead given a green signal for the match to be played as per the schedule.  Taking to Twitter, India's ace spinner Ashwin called the air quality in Delhi as scary and said that oxygen was the basic requirement for human beings. Ashwin said that it was a case of an emergency as he voiced his concerns about the pollution levels amid which the first T20 is scheduled to be played. Although Ashwin is not a part of the T20 squad playing on Sunday, the spinner took to Twitter to express his concerns over the rising pollution levels in Delhi. 

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