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[Saba Sports News] Prior to the England-Bangladesh clash at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, England’s captain, Jos Buttler, didn’t hold back his criticism of the outfield’s condition. Buttler, an experienced player, openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the state of the field, labeling it as subpar and far from suitable for a World Cup match.
Buttler’s concerns were well-founded, as just the day before, during a match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman had an awkward fall while attempting to field on the patchy and barren outfield. Fortunately, Mujeeb avoided a serious injury, but this incident raised serious doubts about the venue’s suitability for international cricket.
In Buttler’s words, “Yes, I have a few concerns. In my opinion, it’s not up to standard. When you have to be cautious about diving or fielding, it goes against the very essence of being a team player. Ideally, you want to go all out to save runs, even if it means diving headlong. But the current state of the surface and outfield doesn’t allow for that. However, we won’t use it as an excuse; we’ll adapt to it. But if you find yourself holding back, it’s not where you want to be as a team or a player, especially in a World Cup match.”
Afghanistan’s coach, Jonathan Trott, had already expressed similar sentiments after the incident, stating that the outfield wasn’t suitable for international cricket. In response to these concerns, the head curator, Sunil Chauhan, and the ICC’s independent pitch consultant, Andy Atkinson, conducted a thorough inspection of the ground. While the venue was deemed suitable for the England-Bangladesh game, the outfield received an ‘average’ rating from the ICC.
Buttler lamented the situation where players had to exercise caution while putting their bodies on the line. He stressed the importance of playing instinctively in the field, a luxury that the poor outfield conditions could deprive them of.
“Injuries can occur on any surface at any time, but it’s definitely a situation where you have to be a bit careful, which isn’t what you want when you’re representing your country. You want to give it your all and try to save every run without second thoughts. So, it’s not as good as it should be, but both teams will face the same conditions. The wicket looks fantastic, and as I mentioned earlier, we’re eager to perform well, so we won’t use it as an excuse. We just need to be smart about it,” he added.
Another issue Buttler pointed out was the run-up area for fast bowlers, which also showed signs of wear and tear. Buttler acknowledged that it might take some time for bowlers to adjust to the conditions but expressed confidence in their ability to adapt.
“I think it’s the same again, it’s about building trust. You have bowlers charging in and trying to bowl fast, and they need that confidence in their run-up. It might take them a few balls to get used to it, but they are professionals, and they will adapt,” Buttler remarked.