England wary of 'poor' Dharamsala outfield for Cricket World Cup clash with Bangladesh

09.10.2023 - 11:57 thenationalnews.com

England captain Jos Buttler bemoaned the poor state of the outfield at Dharamsala where the defending champions take on Bangladesh in the World Cup on Tuesday.

The heavy, sand-based outfield came in for criticism during the match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan, where players lost their footing and spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman somehow avoided a serious injury as his knee got jammed into the ground while sliding.

While former England batsman and Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott questioned the condition of the outfield, the International Cricket Council has given the outfield an "average" rating, allowing it to host World Cup matches.

But concerns about players' safety remain. England captain Jos Buttler was equally worried about the state of the outfield at the picturesque ground that is in the foothills of the Himalayas, stating it is not ideal for World Cup matches. "It's poor in my own opinion," Buttler said on Monday ahead of the match against Bangladesh. "Any time you're talking about being careful diving or sort of being careful when you're fielding, it goes against everything you want to be as a team. "So that's obviously not ideal, the way the surface is, the outfield.

cricket world cup 2023 cup Jonny Bairstow Jos Buttler Jonathan Trott Mujeeb Ur England Cricket Afghanistan Bangladesh

India and England will take the field in match no. 29 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Sunday, October 29, at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The Indian team have won all of their five matches in the tournament. They head into the game against England as the second-placed team in the World Cup 2023 points table. India beat 2019 runners-up New Zealand by four wickets at Dharamsala in their last match. England, on the other hand, are in a precarious position in their title defence. Jos Buttler and Co. have lost four of their five matches in the tournament, ranking ninth in the points table. Their only win was a 137-run success against Bangladesh in their second match.

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The M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru is all set for a terrific contest, as England take on Sri Lanka in match no. 25 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Thursday, October 26. Sri Lanka and England have suffered a similar fate in the tournament until this point. Both teams have picked up only one victory so far and put themselves far away from contention for a place in the knockout stages. However, with plenty of other results working out favourably, they still are within touching distance of that fourth spot.

Cricket World Cup: 'Poor' Dharamsala Outfield Back In Focus As Indian Players Avoid Diving On It

The poor outfield at the HPCA stadium was back in focus as most of the Indian players shied away from sliding to avoid potential injuries in their Cricket World Cup match against New Zealand in Dharmasala on Sunday. India skipper Rohit Sharma made a sliding effort and hurt his little finger early on in the New Zealand innings, forcing him to leave the field for treatment. He, however, returned back later to lead the side. And then in the 35th over, Jasprit Bumrah decided against diving at the fine-leg boundary while chasing the ball, giving away a boundary to New Zealand skipper Tom Latham.