Dharamsala outfield raises concern for remaining Cricket World Cup 2023 matches

The outfield at the Dharamsala Stadium was the main talking point on Saturday after Bangladesh eased to a six-wicket win over Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup.

All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored a half-century and took three wickets to secure victory but it was the poor state of the outfield that raised concerns about player safety.

Bangladesh coach Jonathan Trott said spinner Mujeeb Ur Rehman was fortunate to escape without a serious injury after his left knee went into the sandy surface while diving.

The outfield sported a patchy look with heavy sand underneath, discouraging players from diving and sliding.

Trott said he did not feel qualified to "make an assessment" on whether the ground was fit to stage World Cup matches.

But the former England batsman added: "You've got players unsure of whether they can dive."

"And when you've got players worried about getting injured... we are lucky Mujeeb hasn't got a serious knee injury towards the end."

Someone is going to get seriously injured in this Dharamsala outfield if they're not careful.#CWC23 #AFGvBAN #BANvAFG pic.twitter.com/yPXu5qA7pI

Mehidy accepted the outfield was "a little heavy", adding: "The ball wasn't travelling a lot. But you can't blame the outfield... you have to perform in every situation."

Dharamsala has endured outfield issues for a long time. Earlier this year, it lost the hosting rights for a Test against Australia after the playing field was deemed unfit. Then later in the year, the grass on the outfield was hit by a fungal infection.

The venue will host four more matches, with England, Netherlands, South Africa, India, New Zealand and Australia all set to play there.

In Saturday's match, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan put his side in the