'We have no choice': Bangladesh coach Hathurusingha on Delhi air quality

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha admitted on Sunday his team has "no choice" but to play Sri Lanka in smog-choked New Delhi as their failed World Cup mission winds down. The Indian capital - which has a population of 30 million - once again ranked as the world's most polluted city on Sunday, according to monitoring firm IQAir.

Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have cancelled training sessions in the city in recent days. "We were concerned. We are trying to minimise our exposure to the outdoors as much as possible. We need to practice but we have to be careful over the long-term effect of this condition," said Hathurusingha.

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"The air quality is affecting both teams. It's not ideal, but we have no choice. We have to play in the conditions in front of us." World Cup organisers have already banned firework shows at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium and at the Wankhede in Mumbai in an attempt not to exacerbate the problem. "Some of the players didn't turn up for practice as they are asthmatic, so they stayed indoors," added Hathurusingha on Sunday.

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