BCCI ends silence on ticket refund, hosting matches in North India during winters after Lucknow ODI abandoned due to fog

The fourth T20I in Lucknow was abandoned due to fog and visibility issue. Fans were left fuming as they had to wait for three hours in the stadium.

It was a comedy of errors in Lucknow on Wednesday as India's fourth T20I against South Africa got abandoned due to excessive fog and poor visibility. The toss was scheduled for 6:30 PM at the Ekana Stadium, but the umpires waited for three hours and conducted seven inspections, eventually calling off the game.

Umpires inspect the visibility at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. (PTI)

Fans were also left fuming as they waited in the stands till 9:30 PM, when the umpires decided to call off the match. The fog was intense as even India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was seen wearing a mask for protection. Meanwhile, the South African players left for the dressing room after a short warm-up.

Even BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla had to intervene during one of the inspections and was seen having a discussion with the umpires. Robin Uthappa and Dale Steyn, who were part of the broadcasters' team, were also left baffled by the huge delay in the final decision as the fog got worse with time.

Regarding the ticket refunds, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia claimed that the responsibility lies with Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), which is the competent authority in this. According to NDTV, Saikia said, "That is under the domain of the state cricket association, which is UPCA. So, this game's hosting state is the UPCA. So, they will be able to tell you about this, and they are the competent authority."

"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."

According to BCCI's refund policy, fans are eligible for a refund (minus fees) if a match is cancelled or abandoned before a single delivery is bowled.

India lead 2-1 in the five-match series and now the fifth T20I is a decider. A defeat will result in the series ending in a draw, while a victory will see India clinch the series 3-1.

Commenting on the fog issue, Saikia said, "No, it is a solitary weather situation. Normally we have this kind of weather in the month of January. This time it is quite early, number one, and number two, we had a match in Dharamsala also the other day. Dharamsala is a much colder place. So you cannot predict fog, and rain. Nowadays cricket is a throughout the year annual event for 12, and we have to have the matches."

"When we saw that there were big disturbances from fog in northern India in the month of January, we already restructured our domestic cricket matches. That's why there is a big gap between Ranji Trophy matches in North India. If you look at our schedule, we have bifurcated the Ranji Trophy matches into two parts.

"During the first part of January, we are not scheduling any matches in North India from last year onwards, if you follow that. This Lucknow incident is an exceptional weather condition. We had three matches in North India - one in Chandigarh, Dharamshala and one in Lucknow - all are in the same build," he added.

Saikia also explained that if it had been known that fog would be an issue in Lucknow, then they would have played the fixture somewhere else. He remarked that the first Test vs South Africa was originally scheduled for Delhi, but due to the smog situation after Diwali, the match was rescheduled with Kolkata. Saikia also clarified that fog hasn't been an issue in Lucknow in December.