The Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Sri Lanka faced a significant delay due to strong winds that led to a portion of the stadium’s roof collapsing onto spectators in Lucknow.
A large hoarding detached from the roof section of the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium and landed on fans below.
Earlier in the game, a half-hour rain delay had caused both teams to leave the field during Sri Lanka’s innings.
However, the match was disrupted again during the 43rd over when the winds intensified. Not only was there dust blowing across the playing surface due to a sandstorm, but advertising banners at the top of the stands also became loose and ended up on the outfield. Furthermore, debris from temporary structures fell into the spectator seating area.
Massive hoarding fell off the stadium roof and landed dangerously on spectators during the windstorm in the Lucknow cricket stadium in India. @ICC @ICCMediaComms #Cricket #SLvAUS #WorldCup2023 pic.twitter.com/8d7EEoIvZ7— Indian Cricket News (@cricketcouncil2) October 16, 2023
Adam Zampa, the star leg-spinner, who had a standout performance in the game, achieving figures of 4/47, said “I’ve never been a part of that, never seen something like that. But there was no one hurt hopefully. There was a metal pole coming down; I’ve never seen anything like that.” But he relieved as no one was injured during the incident.
Commentator Ian Smith from New Zealand expressed concerns about the wind and its potential dangers for the spectators. The safety of fans was a primary concern, as the wind affected not only the hoardings but also the scaffolding and structures holding them in place.
The match eventually resumed as Australia pursued Sri Lanka’s target of 209, securing their first victory of the tournament.