World Cup 2023: Important that our kids live without fear, says Rohit Sharma on pollution level

Rohit Sharma expressed concern about the air quality in Indian cities, with new emphasis on Mumbai as Indian cricket team prepare to face Sri Lanka in a World Cup encounter. Ahead of the match at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit said the current situation is not ideal wished that future generations “get to live without fear”.

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Mumbai and Delhi have both been severely affected by alarming pollution level. So much that BCCI has declared that fireworks won’t go off in the two cities for the rest of the Cricket World Cup.

“In an ideal world you do not want a situation like this but I am pretty sure that the concerned people are taking the necessary steps to avoid this kind of situation. It is not ideal and everyone knows that,” Rohit said on Wednesday in Mumbai.

Rohit, who has a five-year-old daughter, said the future generations deserve a clean environment.

“Looking at our future generations, your kids, my kid. Obviously it is important that they get to live without any fear. Every time I get to speak outside of cricket, or not discussing cricket I always talk about this. We have to look after our future generations,” the captain said.

Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday with an air quality index (AQI) of 372. The pollution situation has been alarming in Mumbai as well.

Sri Lanka are scheduled to travel to Delhi for their match against Bangladesh on November 6, while Mumbai will host two more league games, on November 2 and November 7, and the semifinal on November 15.

The Indian cricket Board has said that it is “sensitive to environmental concerns.”

“I took up the matter formally with the ICC and there won’t be any fireworks display in Mumbai, which can add to the pollution level,” said BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.

“The Board is committed to combating environmental issues and will always place the interest of our fans and stakeholders at the forefront. The BCCI acknowledges the urgent concern surrounding air quality in both Mumbai and New Delhi.

“While we strive to host the ICC World Cup in a manner befitting the celebration of cricket, we remain steadfast in our commitment to prioritising the health and safety of all our stakeholders.”